Remnant's Phantom
by Raoul The Third
Summary: Ren knew Igor had the best intentions. Despite his limited time with the true Igor, Ren knew that Igor cared deeply for humanity and their potential. Ren knew that Igor meant no harm to him whatsoever. But right now, all he could think of was one thing, "What the hell did I just sign up for?"
1. Suprise Visit

Ren knew Igor had the best intentions. Despite his limited time with the true Igor, Ren knew that Igor cared deeply for humanity and their potential. Ren knew that Igor meant no harm to him whatsoever. But right now, all he could think of was one thing "What the hell did I just sign up for?".

* * *

It's been 4 days since he had returned home, finally free from that accursed criminal record that ruined his normal life. Yet it was because of it that he had gained something even greater; his friends and the bonds created invaluable to him. The thought made him smile. They were the reason living at the city was bearable, they were the reason he had hope, and also the reason he was able to move forward. It was because of them tha-

"HEY! When are you going to get out of bed?" …oh, right Morgana was still with him. Still laying down he turned himself around to see Morgana, in all his cat glory, staring at him with restless eyes. The cat had grown a few pounds compared to before their fight with the False god; something not too noticeable until you try carrying him inside your school bag. Despite his form Morgana still carried an air of authority behind him, not the dominating presence of a soldier but of one like a brother that cared for their own. Not wanting to keep him waiting, Ren responded, his voice soft yet firm.

"I'm up, I'm up" In a quick, practiced motion Ren, or rather Joker, stood on the wooden floor in an instant. The year with Morgana doing wonders to him, practiced and efficient. Who knew creating tools, stealthily moving in and out of palaces, and working at a beef bowl shop once in a while would make one so practiced in their movements to the point it looks professional?

"Well hurry up! We don't have all day, and you promised you'd take me out to explore the place!" Morgana whined. Ren smiled. Life had been hectic for them, but now since everything was settled they'd be able to kick back and relax for a while. Ren got moving, changing to his casual wear while morgana groomed himself. His parents were out for the day, and school for him won't start until next week until the papers were in order. Giving Ren and Morgana ample time to explore his hometown and take a leisurely stroll around.

But alas, no rest for the wicked.

Just as he and Morgana walked out of his room, into the hall, heading toward the kitchen something appeared. Ren hearing something so distinct and familiar raised his head, eyes widening, and straighten up. Morgana copying the actions while ears jutted outwards. Their mouths opening ever so slightly in shock as they could only stare ahead at the object in front of them.

A blue, glowing butterfly. Fluttering in front of them while making that whimsical sound as its wings dropping sparkling scales as they flapped.

And just as it had appeared, it faded out of existence as if it had never existed.

"Was that-" Morgana began. "It was." Ren answered. Before the two of them could take a step someone had walked out into the hall. Someone they both were well acquainted with, despite their short time with one another.

There standing in front of them, holding a rather large, thick looking book in front of her, arms crossed in front of it like it was a treasure. Wearing a velvet blue dress, a matching headband with a silver butterfly and a yellow rose on each end. Platinum hair that cascaded behind her back, and yellow eyes. She looked up to meet Ren's eyes, her expression quickly changing to one of love and adoration as she gave a warm smile to him.

"It's good to see you again, my beloved trickster" she said in such a gentle tone. Silence followed as Ren could only stare flabbergast at her rather surprise visit. Here standing in front of him was the assistant of the Velvet Room, a ruler of power, Lavenza. Too shocked to reply, Ren could only stare with his jaw dropped. Questions crashing into his mind, almost overloading him for a moment making him unsure of how to respond.

Thankfully Morgana spoke up to fill the silence, "Hey~! What about me?" the cat spoke in indignation. Lavenza looked down from Ren to the lovable cat, walking towards him, and picking him up. Cuddling with her master's creation she spoke calmly, yet clear excitement could be heard as well. "Of course, I wouldn't forget about you Morgana. It's been a while hasn't it?" cuddling with the cat in her hands. The sight made Ren's heart melt, it was absolutely adorable in his eyes.

Shaking his head and getting over his previous shock, Ren smiled at Lavenza, but despite the unexpected reunion he knew it was time to get back into business. "Lavenza it's great that you're here, but is there a reason for you visiting us?" Ren asked Looking up at Ren, she put down Morgana gently before a frown marred her face. She paused, as if the words were something she wished not to say, but she gave in eventually. Sighing, she merely gave the trickster a weak smile. "My master would like to meet with you regarding something important. I'm afraid I don't have any other information besides that. He seemed rather set as he sent me to the outside world himself"

Ren's eyes narrowed, and looked to Morgana shortly after she finished. Both giving each other a look.

It would seem that their business was far from over.


	2. Lavenza's lament

**I do not own anything from either series. Reviews and flames welcomed.**

* * *

Ren and Morgana knew something was wrong with Lavenza the moment she spoke of her master. The small frown that adorned her face, the hesitance in her voice, eyes that exuded worry, and that weak smile. That smile was not meant for them, rather it was a smile meant to assure herself that everything would be fine. And that smile put Ren on edge, and put Morgana on alert.

Whatever Igor wanted to ask of them it was apparent that Lavenza was deeply bothered by it. Ren could see it as clear as day. Finding just the right words to say to his friends when they wanted or when they needed it, and interrogating shadows who needed just the right answer to join his cause gave him more than enough insight on a person's psyche. The same could be said about Morgana; the feline had always known to read between the lines.

So when Lavenza looked down, her eyes brimming with worry and doubt. Ren stepped towards her, and knelt down so their eyes would meet. Still looking down however, Lavenza didn't even acknowledge his actions, too busy in her own mind to notice what was happening in front of her.

Had she noticed she would ask him "Is something the matter?" or "Do you need anything?"

She didn't though, she was too far into her thoughts for her to notice what was happening around her. And because of that she left her guard open.

What a horrible mistake to make in front of the leader of the Phantom Thieves.

Capitalizing on the poor girl lost in thought, Ren closed in, and went for the kill.

Morgana could only chuckle as he saw what happened before his very eyes.

* * *

Lavenza.

Caroline.

Justine.

Lavenza was both of them, and the both of them are her. Originally being a single individual, yet split into two. It was quite the experience once the twin wardens had gained back their memories and became whole once more. Lavenza could perfectly recall each and every of their memories, her memories, remember feeling their actions, what they talked about, their time with her trickster. Lavenza remembered it all.

Of course this also meant the embarrassing poses that Caroline practiced to be used on her trickster.

She wished she could forget about those.

Nonetheless, when she returned back to being "Lavenza" she was bombarded with a plethora of memories. And with those memories came emotions. And in the wave of emotions that hit her like a tidal wave, one stood out among all the rest. It was the one that she only heard about from the stories her sister's told her.

Love.

Justine and Caroline, despite their rather harsh treatment to her trickster, harbored a great deal of love for him, growing from the kindness he gave them when the two felt lost and unsure. When she returned to her original form, the love doubled for him, and she herself fell hard for him.

And it was because of those emotions that she couldn't help but feel protective of him, and angry at her master for asking her to bring them to the Velvet Room. She may not know what exactly her master had in store for her trickster but one thing was for sure. Her master needed him for something, and it involved him getting dirtying his hands once more.

Had he not done enough for the world?

Why can't we leave him to the peace he was just given?

It wasn't fair.

Those thoughts juggled inside her head mercilessly. Yet here she was though, in his house, standing in his hall requesting for him to come with her. In the end she couldn't defy her master.

 **'How pathetic'** the voice Justine resounding in her head.

Looking down, she couldn't help but feel worried about Ren, and doubting herself for her own lack of resistance.

Here she was, a ruler of power, unable to stand up for her beloved trickster. Not only that but she left her guard down so much that said trickster was now hugging her. How disgracef-

 **'...Wait what?!'** the scream of Caroline woke her from her thoughts

The sound of her compendium hitting the ground with a large thud, Lavenza's eyes snapped open. She could feel his arms wrap around her, gentle and kind, easing away her worries and fears.

Surprised and caught off guard, she stood stiff as a statue. Her eyes wide open with pupils dilated, her hands stiff, clammy, and at her sides no longer bearing the weight of the large book, and her body burning from the contact from her trickster. Wait... Nope that's just the blood in her body going at inhuman speeds in tandem with her embarrassment. Smoke puffed out of her ears, a futile attempt to cool her body down.

This is it.

The death of a ruler of power.

She had always thought it would be Theodore but it seemed that was not the case.

It would seem this would be her Last Surprise.

Shocked to her core and unsure of how to proceed, Lavenza tried to speak but her words betrayed her and caught in her throat. Her mind running at the speed of sound. Her brain betrayed her as all she could do was look forward, and while her stare only lasted half a second the thought that hit her head felt like an eternity.

'This is nice.'

Before she could think, her body had already moved, reciprocating the action of the thief in front of her. Her eyes now closed, she nuzzled her head into her neck, smiling while taking a calming breath. 'This is heaven' she thought.

She felt at peace, felt happy.

Nothing could ruin this moment.

"Mwehehehehe" ...She was wrong. So very wrong.

She had forgotten the lovable "cat" that was with them. Watching them. Not only that, said "cat" had a front row seat of her embarrassment. Sure it was for a few seconds or such but he had witnessed it. The thoughts invaded her head like a wildfire. Caroline screaming bloody murder, while Justine looking away from the inside of her head trying to hide the shame. A blush on the twin wardens faces

It wasn't so bad though.

It's not like anyone else would see this moment.

Right?

* * *

Lavenza and Ren released each other from the hug, the former reluctantly doing so. While she wanted to stay like that forever time was still moving forward, and as such it was now time for business. Clear of any negative feelings from earlier, Lavenza knelt down and grabbed the book, and looked upwards at Ren and spoke.

"Please follow me to the Velvet Room" her voice gentle yet commanding, was heard loud and clear between the two thieves present.

With that the book opened, a surge of power pulsing from it. A blue light so small coming from the center of it suddenly expanded, blinding the two thieves in the process. When it had finally faded their stood before them the entrance to the Velvet Room.

The door opening suddenly, Lavenza stepped forward and turned her head, giving them a small nod and smile, before walking into the door that led to the velvet room. Disappearing from sight, the ominous blue fog that exuded from the door spread to their feet, almost as if inviting them to come in as well.

Morgana and Ren faced forward. While Ren took a step, Morgana called out.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" the feline asked, Ren turned to face him, his face a blank mask before a smirk etched its way onto his face. "What? Don't tell me you've turned to a scaredy cat?" Ren teased, before turning back around to the door to walk in. But before the last step could be made into the door, a certain black cat crashed onto the back of his head at what could be called incredible speed. Ren lost his balance and could do nothing but be pushed into the door, the panicked noise that left his throat silenced by Morgana's threats of bloody murder and catstrating him. Despite the cat's colorful words and the rather extensive list of threats, laughter could be heard from the two of them.

They had battled the corrupt adults of the world, fought the supernatural, outwitted a murderer, and defeated a False God.

This would just be another day for the Phantom thieves of heart.

* * *

 **Omake:**

Morgana knew what Ren was gonna do to Lavenza.

He knew that it would be priceless.

That's why before Ren left his side, he stole Ren's cell phone from his pocket.

Amateur.

He would teach him a lesson later.

Recording the event was a cinch for our feline hero.

"Mwehehehehehe..."

This would be great material for some compensation later.

His hunger for sushi will be alleviated in due time.

* * *

 **I'll speed things up in the 3rd chapter. Once I'm in the mood I do like 2 chapters a day when I'm not busy. We'll see.**


	3. Distortion

When Ren and Morgana finally made it to the Velvet Room, they had expected the long nosed man to greet them, welcoming them. Ren expecting the whole "Welcome to the Velvet Room" introduction he had received at his first day at Leblanc.

Instead he was welcomed with what he would describe as a giant black bipedal wolf, a bone skull covering what would be it's face, red eyes with a tint of yellow as it locked onto him and Morgana. The moment it's eyes met his was when it moved. In less than a second it had leaped towards him, arms poised and ready to strike him down the moment he was close enough.

Had he been a lesser man he would've screamed.

Had he been Ryuji he would have fallen on his ass screaming "OH SHIT".

Of course. That was not, and would never be, the case.

In a split second, Ren ran forward and slid underneath the wolf while it was midair. Narrowly dodging it's strike and body as he quickly turned to face the "wolf".

Whatever it was it wasn't a wolf. It wasn't a shadow either that was for sure. But there was one thing he was sure of.

This was an enemy.

However, before he could make his move, another had decided to strike.

"Come forth. **Mercurius** **!** " and before the wolf could even react it was torn to shreds. A hurricane manifesting itself, electricity forming between the waves of wind that shredded the beast. Whatever remaining of it's body turning to black smoke before disappearing, as if it had never existed to begin with. Before Ren could even ask what was that, he heard something. Something he thought he would never have to hear again. Quickly turning his head, almost giving himself whiplash, he looked towards the desk of the Velvet Room, or rather what lay behind it.

He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Of all the things he had expected this wasn't it.

Why was their a **distortion** within the Velvet Room?

What was usually the sight of empty cells behind the desk now stood a distortion, it creating red and black while absorbing it at the same time, making it seem endless. The thieves had entered time and time again to pursue and change the hearts of those within mementos.

However this wasn't mementos.

Mementos was destroyed when **Yaldabaoth** was defeated.

Cold sweat ran down his forehead. Ren needed to relax. This wasn't the time to be nervous, nor the time to be asking aimless questions. His worries would be answered by the master of this room.

 **"HEY!** Are you just gonna stare at that distortion all day or am I gonna have to do all the talking?" ...and just like that the tension in his body faded to nothingness. Leave it to Morgana to knock him out of his stupor. Speaking about Morgana...

Ren tilted his head downwards to his left, looking at the "monster cat" that stood with it's arms crossd. The signature smirk that grew on it's face being a rather entertaining sight for him.

It looks like Morgana was back in action.

With a grunt of acknowledgement aimed at Morgana, Ren turned his head to fully face the desk, and the man that was sitting behind it.

Igor, in all his glory, with his trademark unsettling smile and long nose, sat behind the desk. Acting as the warden of the room.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room, a place that exists betwe-" Igor began, but before he could finish a certain assistant decided to make herself known.

 **"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!"**

Rather loudly.

* * *

Lavenza was furious.

When she had entered the room her master said to stand by his side and watch what was to come.

Confused by the sudden request from her master she did as she was told.

Then the distortion appeared. A large gaping hole of red and black that would consume everything in it's wake if nothing was done. Her body spinning around, the book in her hands flying open as blue light burst forth, and her body poised and ready to move and eliminate whatever came her way.

She was split into two once, she would not make the same mistake twice.

However, her master chuckled, "Just watch my dear, everything will be fine" he spoke as if nothing was wrong. That there wasn't a huge distortion behind him, and that it was a normal day within the Velvet Room.

Then it entered, or rather jumped into the room. It's body flying to the center just in front of the table.

That horrid noise it made, growls and grunts. The black smoke it exuded just from existing. Lavenza wasn't sure what it was but there was one thing she could say confidently.

This was an enemy.

It needed to be destroyed.

Before she could even make a move, however, she heard foot steps from the entrance. Eyes widening she froze as she saw the two enter.

 **'NO'** her mind screamed. She needed to do something, anything! But just like before her body froze, fear for their lives hitting her like a ton of bricks, rendering her unable to move. The shock too much for her as all she could do was watch.

Her trickster sliding under the beast and avoiding his attack allowed her to release the breath she had not known she was holding.

Morgana jumping and using the beast's head as a launchpad to further push himself into the air, turning his body so that he had a clear view of the monster, and summoning Mercuirus to finish off the beast made her relax, her body no longer frigid.

How wonderful. Not only had they been able to avoid the beast, they outclassed it severely.

Now that she was sure the two were safe. Lavenza turned to face her master.

He knew this was going to happen, that't why he told her to move to his side, so that she wouldn't stand in the way.

That did not sit well with her.

Glaring, and releasing a bit of her power, she screamed.

 **"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!"**

* * *

Before Lavenza could chew Igor out, Ren came to his rescue. It's not like he didn't have the same question but this was serious.

If a distortion was still here that meant it had to come from somewhere.

"Igor, where did this distortion come from?" Ren asked calmly. His time with with his friends and allies creating an unbreakable patience within him, which came in handy for moments like these. Igor's grin grew wild after that question. Alarms rang throughout his head,but Ren stood firm and waited. Whatever it was that Igor was about to say he had to stay calm, and stay strong. For his, and everyone elses, sake.

But it was kind of hard to keep up the facade, especially with what Igor said next.

"It seems Yaldaboath's power was so vast that it tapped into other realities. I am not lying when I say this, mind you, but what lies before us is another reality, one different to the one you live in presently. One where creatures of darkness rule, and humanity stands at it's last legs. That creature you just encountered being one of the many monsters that reside in that world" Igor finished. The smirk never leaving his face.

What followed up from his little explanation was to be expected. Landing in Igor's expectations.

Deafening silence.

Beautiful, baffling silence

Morgana and Lavenza's had incredulity painted across their faces. It was to be expected. The man just told them that their was another world and that monsters have pushed humanity to it's breaking point. If it had been anyone else they would have a mental shutdown from the information given to them. Some would say that this was like a comic book with those ridiculous plots that came with them.

However, the trickster always did know how to entertain him. Always reaching a conclusion that greatly pleased the man, proving that humanities potential was limitless time and time again. That no matter how bleak the future is, there would always be one to stand at the front lines to challenge it.

It always brought a smile to his face.

"So, can I assume that the distortion is from these 'creatures of darkness' you mentioned, or is something bigger going on that you aren't telling us?" Ren questioned, his eyes sharp and analytical. Causing the others to tense at the intensity behind them. How astute this young man is. It's no wonder that he was able to come out on top and stop the "ruin".

Chuckling, all Igor had left was to ask the young man the question. The reason for bringing him, showing, and explaining what was happening.

That world where darkness roams.

Humanity there needed all the help it could get.

A wild card was needed.

"Young man, if I told you that in order to stop the distortion... in order to truly end it all... that you must head to that reality and stop whoever causing it... would you believe me?"

Igor knew how to press his buttons. He knew it and so did Ren.

Ren's eyes narrowed. Not at Igor, but at the distortion.

It would seem that his business truly wasn't finished after all.


	4. Prelude to Remnant

**I own nothing.**

* * *

Ren knew that this was urgent. That no one besides the Phantom Thieves knew about the distortions, and what they were capable of. Reality being at the mercy of the phenomenon.

Ren had to do something about it. No question about it.

This very power had erased his friends right before his very eyes. Powerless, he had to watch the very things pushing him forward turn to dust. Before he too met that very fate.

He wouldn't let it stand.

However, there were too many things stopping him from jumping straight into the distortion. Leading to who knows where.

He had too little information to work with. The unprepared die quickly, those words something he lived by. Being the lead of operations teaching him that harshly. Having to keep a calm mind during the most gruelling of infiltrations. Using the information provided and gained in order to successfully infiltrate palaces, and leaving with relatively no life endangering injuries.

He needed information on the world that lies ahead. How society functions, the people, and information on the enemies that reside there.

He would be an absolute fool to go in guns blazing. And while he was sure that those creatures couldn't hold a candle to the persona's they wielded, he wouldn't be surprised to find an enemy that could rival their powers.

The beating the Reaper gave them a constant reminder of his overconfidence.

The battle between him and the twins, teaching him that there were those with power far stronger than he could have ever imagined.

His body involuntarily shivering at the memories.

Forcibly breaking himself of his musings, Ren looked at Igor. The smiling man's presence always did rile him some way or another. He was, after all, a constant reminder that normal was something he would never be able of achieving. That his life had changed after the incident with Shido.

Not that he regretted it.

Straightening his back, Ren stood tall, and asked the question Igor had wanted to hear.

"Give me all the information you have."

Igor could only smile.

* * *

"The world is called Remnant; split into four kingdoms; Vale, Vacuo, Atlas, and Mistral. Each with their own culture and values. The people and animals possess a 'soul' in this world, manifesting itself physically called 'aura'. Granting them power and abilities. Like persona, yet more… limited, I should say. You will find out more of this should you choose to go there." Igor started.

Ren was pleased, Unlike the fake before, the real Igor seemed to be much more informative and cooperative with him. He had done some research. Good. Less time studying and more time finding whatever responsible for the giant mass of red and black currently in front of him.

"That 'wolf' you just fought, from what I could find, is called a 'grimm'. A soulless species that aims to destroy the people of Remnant. The form they take similar to the animals of your world, except specialized in destroying. Their origins and motives are something I have yet to figure out, unfortunately, do forgive me." Igor continued. The amount of information he gave being more than helpful Ren thought.

"What about the currency?" Ren asked. An uneasy look on his face. He knew all too well how important it was to have money at his disposal to get the things he needed. And while he had more than enough Yen in his pocket, he doubted that the world of Remnant used the same currency as his own.

There were no shadows to to extort money from anymore. The lack of them being mentioned by Igor almost bringing tears to his eyes.

How he would miss the feeling of successfully gaining a year's worth of Yen. The look of despair a shadow would give him when he stole from their coffers. The bliss.

It wasn't an addiction.

Merely an asset he would gladly take advantage of him.

Don't judge.

Chuckling, Igor's already creepy smile grew, as if knowing very well of his plight. "Your current currency is something we will gladly change, we wouldn't want you devoid of resources in an unknown world after all." Igor said. An attempt to ease Ren's worries.

It did ease his worries.

Quite a bit mind you.

Ren sighed. 'Thank goodness' he thought.

One less trivial problem he didn't have to worry about.

* * *

Morgana listened intently to his creators' words. Absorbing all the information that they were given.

A world where monsters ruled, with potentially super powered humans.

How troublesome

Looking over to Ren, Morgana could see the deep look of concentration on his friend's face. He, too, taking in all the information with careful considerations. As expected of the guy he trained.

Morgana could only smirk. He taught him well.

"What about the currency?" and the smirk disappeared. Morgana could only sigh silently.

Morgana almost forgot how frugal Ren could be. He didn't mind that at all though, it was admirable that Ren took his time to consider something so important. Impressive even.

The look of dread on his face however…

Yeah, how pathetic.

Back to reality, Morgana stared at his master. He was more than capable of reading the lines in between. Why his master had called them to the Velvet Room, and why he was explaining this all to them.

He wanted Ren to go over and stop the distortions. That was the intent behind his actions. However, that wasn't the actual reason Igor wanted them to go. No, the truth behind it all much bigger.

He wanted Ren to save the world once more.

The world called Remnant.

He looked over at Lavenza, the crossed look on her face saying her opinion on the matter. She was absolutely against the idea, and honestly so was he.

Ren went through so much already. It was insane when he thought about it. Convicted of assault, cheated and forced to follow the system made by corrupt adults, and shackled to the rules in hopes of an appeal.

It disgusted Morgana that Igor even asked Ren of this. Why not find another person for the job?

Alas, the look Ren had earlier already told Morgana what his plan was. The scars of the past opening once more for his friend.

Ren was going to stop it, and whoever was causing it. He could understand why, but the sheer determination backing Ren up was insane. It was something that Morgana would always admire, something Morgana strived to learn for himself.

His end goal; becoming human.

His current goal?

Assisting the Trickster in his journey once more.

He **IS** the personification of hope after all. It being natural for him to lend a hand to the guy he was made to help.

That's what friends were for after all.

* * *

Ren and Morgana had returned to reality. The Velvet Room door still within his house to access whenever they were ready. The two preparing for the next day, gathering whatever they deemed useful.

On his work table, Ren stared at the weapons laid across, his muscles twitching at the thought of using them once more:

Paradise lost, the blade created by sacrificing Satanael, his ultimate persona. His true self in the physical form. The blade that drive angels away from Paradise.

God of Destruction, the gun of Metatron. Empowering his persona's, and in turn himself even more. A formidable weapon in his capable hands.

Weapons he thought he would never use again. Chuckling, his hands grabbed the two, the blade and gun almost melding to his hands.

He couldn't wait to use them once more.

He looked at the other weapons; their strength rivalling his own weapons.

Claiomh Solais, Morgana's blade, the luminous shine it gave off, while increasing Morgana's mental fortitude. Mysterious, yet deadly in the cat's paws.

Utopia just beside it. The weapon he bought at Untouchable, one of Iwai's greatest works that rivalled the persona weapons themselves.

The thought of the weapons bringing a smile on his face. They were the greatest defense against the shadows. Only second to the persona's that they were capable of summoning to their sides.

It's amazing that his parents thought he had picked up strange otaku hobbies, collecting model guns and weapons after all. The two not very interested in his life. Too busy with their work.

He would use that to their advantage.

Quickly, he put the weapons in his bag: money, the eternal lockpick, pack of reserve ammo, smokescreens, vanish balls, megido bombs, element sets, and forces sets. Items leftover for when the metaverse disappeared. He hadn't the heart to throw them away. They were his hard work after all, it would be a waste to just throw them away.

He did have to hide them though. He didn't need his parents questioning why he essentially had such tools at his disposal. The last thing he needed was his parents reporting said items to the police.

He wouldn't get arrested twice. Not when he could help it.

Turning his head around to look at Morgana. The feline was plopped down on his bed, grooming his legs. A strange sight for Ren yet endearing nonetheless.

Taking a seat beside Morgana, the two didn't look at each other. Both taking in the silence, lost in their own thoughts. What seemed like centuries for them in their minds only passed as seconds in reality. The silence, however, was broken by the cat and his question. One that Ren knew was coming a mile away.

"Are you going to tell the others?"

Morgana's question almost like a blade, stabbed at him. It was to be expected. They were a major part of his life now, and now that a new threat from an old foe had been discovered it only made sense to tell them that it wasn't over.

So why hadn't he?

Ren looked into Morgana's eyes, locking onto them. It unnerved Morgana, but he stared back, wanting the answer to the all too important question. They were just a part of it as they were, yet Ren hadn't even texted them about it. Instead he gathered all of the things he thought were important: weapons, clothing, tools, and money that was to be exchanged. Not even bothering to look at his phone either, only focusing on the task in front of him.

Morgana wanted an answer, not some half ass excuse. Ren knew Morgana wanted it. So that's why he gave it to him.

"I'm not" Ren began. He opened his mouth to expand on why, but before he could even finish, Morgana pounced. Latching onto Ren's face, swiping at him with his claws. Unlike the beowolf, which Igor had called it, Morgana hit his mark.

How dare he. Not telling the people closest to them.

 **THE NERVE.**

Letting out a war cry, Morgana swiped at Ren, fully intent on showing him his wrath.

Except Ren stopped him a second later, grabbing the back of his neck and rendering him unable to move. Morgana limply hanging from Ren's hand at arms length. Almost impressing the cat that Ren could carry him with just his finger tips, without hurting him too. Truly transcendent with his hands.

Still didn't mean Morgana couldn't make his ears bleed however.

Before Morgana could scold Ren. Joker spoke.

" **Enough."**

And just like that Morgana was rendered unable to speak. The tone used clear that it was the Leaders turn to speak. Only ever hearing that tone of voice when it mattered most, when times looked the darkest.

Staring into Morgana's eyes, his dark grey eyes piercing the soul. Ren spoke. Gently, yet loud enough for the cat to hear him. His eyes never breaking contact with the feline.

"I won't tell them. Not because I'm scared to, but because we don't know what lies ahead of us. For all we know it could be more dangerous than anything we have ever faced. Sure, we were in danger when we first started, but we were able to prepare properly, and had some knowledge about the situation. This time is different. This is a whole new world, one we know almost nothing about. The game's changed, and like it or not, I am not going to gamble my friend's lives on something this dangerous." Ren stated. His eyes determined, not budging in the slightest.

Morgana stared back, challenging those eyes with his own. Both determined to get across to the other.

But Morgana knew Ren was right.

There were too many variables.

Many which could kill them if things went south.

Which things usually do, as unfortunate as that sounds.

Morgana's determined eyes faltered,before finally resigning himself from the fight. Not willing to challenge Ren any further when he knew the Leader was in the right. As much as he disliked it, Ren thought about more than he ever would.

"At least tell the others that you're going on a trip or something, that way they don't figure out that you just up and disappeared on them to go adventure into some other world." Morgana told him.

"I will. In fact, I already asked Lavenza to tell them every once in a while that I'm doing well." Ren, no, Joker smirked. The sly smile on his face already telling Morgana everything he needed to know.

"Oh? And what is this little 'white lie' you plan on telling them?" Morgana asked. Revelling in the fact that Ren had a plan for this. He was mad before, but now that his emotions weren't clouding his judgement he could easily say that Ren thought this out thoroughly.

"Oh, nothing much. Just that I'll be studying abroad, learn about the world and its politics. That I'll be using my experiences to become a politician the people can rely on. One that seeks justice, while also practicing it myself so that no one like Shido can ever become president ever again, and that the people will be heard when needed." Ren explained. Sure it had a few glaring plot holes, but his friends wouldn't notice. Their trust in him too much for them to doubt him unless they learn the truth. The only friend he had to worry about was Futaba, but he was sure the girl wouldn't invade his privacy too much.

The promise she made to him behind the scenes all the more helpful.

Morgana gaped at his friend, not believing what he was hearing.

Bastard had a plan all figured out.

Smiling, Morgana couldn't help but admire Ren at the moment. His protective nature of his friends, a trait he greatly appreciated, and the confidence he has to execute such a plan.

He couldn't ask for a better leader.

But of course, like any other person, they needed to sleep.

"Hey it's getting pretty late. Let's head to bed." Morgana said.

For once Ren agreed with him.

As much as it pained him to agree with the dictator of bet time, they had a long day tomorrow

They would need all the rest they could get.

* * *

Ren and Morgana entered the Velvet Room once more. Ready for whatever lied ahead of them.

Wearing a light gray hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans, and brown shoes. The former thief had his hands in his pockets, concealing the fact that there was a vanish ball in his hands, ready to be used the instant he entered Remnant.

Morgana to his right, a determined look in his eyes. The cat was ready to take action, his weapons on his body, hidden from the world. Ready to be summoned at a moments notice.

Like their persona's, their weapons were summoned to them as well. Be it a product of cognition, or the power of rebellion they had, they never bothered with understanding it. Whatever worked, worked. And it was convenient for them not to hold the weapons when not needed. The added weight would have hindered their movements when sneaking around inside the palaces.

The bag also had the same physics, disappearing from the world, yet still interactable to the Thieves. It's contents capable of being summoned by them when needed.

Ren walked to the desk at the center of the room, the one that Igor was currently using. The master of the room had his right arm on the table, resting his head on his right hand. While his left arm laid itself on the table, his left forearm parallel to his body.

"I take it you want the money converted?" Igor asked, the man smile growing even more so than the default. How Igor kept it up was something Ren had no intention of figuring out.

You had to be insane to smile that much.

With a "Yes, please" Ren felt a sudden shift in his mind. Summoning his bag and opening it, he looked inside to find the card that held his Yen was now different. Resembling a credit card, his name splayed out on the bottom left. Ren grabbed the card and flipped it.

It looked like a normal credit card, the same as this world.

"Inside that card is exactly 5 million 'lien'. Don't spend it all on one place now." The long nosed man jested. Finding amusement at Ren's reaction.

So Remnant's form of currency was Lien. Good to know. And from what he could tell, it seemed humanity on that side was similar to theirs. If a card held their money, much like a debit or credit card. It probably had the same technology his world had.

He would see for himself later.

Satisfied, Ren flashed the card out of existence along with the bag. Finished his business with Igor, Ren walked around the desk and towards the distortion, Morgana following him.

Lavenza stood in between them and the portal, waiting for them. She gave them a soft smile, reassuring them that everything would be fine.

"Are you sure you wish for this Ren?" she asked, never once blinking as she stared straight at him. Her question echoing through his head.

Is this what he wished for?

Is this what he truly wanted?

Of course not.

But who else would do it.

He was sure of himself. He had to do it.

People would suffer if he took no action.

That was something he would not allow.

" **It seems you haven't forsaken those in order to save yourself…"**

A familiar voice.

" **I have heeded your resolve."**

A familiar voice indeed.

" **I am thou, thou art I…"**

A blast of power, knocking the occupants of the room away from him.

" **Show the strength of thy will to ascertain all on thine own,"**

Blue flames surrounded his being, encapsulating him.

" **Though thou be chained to Hell itself!"**

The flames rose off of his body, no longer wearing the clothes of a civilian.

But those of the leader of the Phantom Thieves.

No longer were Lavenza and Morgana in the presence of Ren Amamiya.

What stood before them was the man who saved the world. One who killed a god.

Joker.

Standing at full height, the man before them smirked at them, his eyes radiating confidence and power. Lifting his left hand and using his right to fix the glove in place, Joker looked back at Lavenza. The smirk on his face now replaced with a gentle smile.

If Lavenza wanted an answer, it was only right that he gave it to her.

She saved his life after all.

Gently but surely, like a host greeting his audience, he spoke. His words loud and clear to the world.

His next words brought a smile to her face.

 **"It's Show Time!"**

 _Show Time indeed_

* * *

 **Leave a review or flame, I'll gladly accept either.**

 **Have a nice day. Thanks for reading.**


	5. First Contact

Joker and Mona stood in front of the distortion. Equipped with weapons, tools, and personas; the Phantom Thieves were back in action.

Well two of them at least. The others were busy with their own lives, something which made Ren glad. Happy that his friends were doing well, moving towards the future at their own paces, something which he desired himself.

But that could only happen when this was all over.

Lavenza watched the two, a wistful look in her eyes. She wanted to stop them, to tell them that they didn't need to do this. That Igor could surely find someone else to fill this role. That their fight was over, and they didn't need to fight any longer.

But Ren wouldn't allow it. He wouldn't drag an innocent person into this mess, not when he could help it. This was a problem for the Phantom Thieves, more so for him than anyone else, and he would be the one to solve it.

One way or another.

Ren and Morgana ran. Ran straight to the portal. Gaining momentum so great that they were a blur, before finally jumping into the abyss.

They wouldn't wait any longer.

They would end this.

* * *

Ren landed silently, rolling as he hit the ground to lessen his momentum. Quickly orientating himself and crouching, ready to jump out of danger at any moment, he scanned the area around him, taking in the environment he was currently in.

They were in a forest. The sun shining above them, confirming that it was day time. A beaten path could be seen not too far ahead of them. It seems they had landed in a clearing, one that looked unnatural as it had no sign of life whatsoever. Trees and grass dead, while further out life flourished.

No doubt the distortion caused this.

'It seems we're by ourselves.' Ren thought. Glad to not have met anyone when they had just arrived. He didn't need to explain how he had appeared from a mass of red and black. Or who he and Morgana was, not wanting to reveal their identities. Ryuji crossing his mind at the thought.

Getting serious, Ren turned around, fully expecting to see the distortion that brought them there. It was their way home, unfortunately, and without it they would be stranded. As destructive and dangerous it was; they needed it.

Except it wasn't there.

A chill ran down his spine.

This wasn't what he was expecting. This was something he hadn't planned for.

Spinning around, looking for any sign of the portal that led them there, Ren frantically searched. His eyes pinpointing anything that he deemed suspicious. Desperately looking for their way in, and way out.

It wasn't anywhere to be found.

They were stranded.

Ren's eyes widened, but his panic didn't show. Taking a deep breath, Ren calmed himself, knowing full well that no good would come from panicking.. Regaining his bearings, Ren needed to consult with Morgana on their next plan of action.

Speaking of the cat, where was he?

" **Hey!** You're spacing out again!" the yell echoed throughout the clearing. Amazed that the voice from his friend was that loud, Ren tilted his head downwards to face his Morgana.

There standing before him was Morgana, in all his cat glory. The feline on all four of his legs as he stared at Ren.

Wait-

All four legs

Quickly double checking to make sure his eyes were functioning properly, Ren blinked quickly before staring at his feline friend.

Morgana wasn't in his metaverse form; his true form. Instead he was a house cat. And by the looks of it, Morgana wasn't pleased with this development in the slightest.

"What the hell… And here I thought I get to stay as myself this time." Morgana whined, unhappy with the fact that he turned back to an average house cat. This wasn't how a dignified Phantom Thief should look like; they should be elegant, magnificent, and stylish.

This wasn't any of those.

Cracking a smile, Ren picked up at Morgana, and proceeded to chuckle.

Morgana was out of action again it seemed. The feline unable to wield his weapons or persona in this form. And while Ren did find it amusing, it worried him as well.

Looks like he would have to battle enemies on his own.

However, before he could place Morgana down, something had jumped out of the brush behind them. Letting out snarls and choked noises, the creature had stumbled upon the clearing, looking for whatever had made the noise earlier. Morgana's shout it would seem.

The creature stood on two hind legs, its knees inverted. No forearms present, and a long tail following its movement to provide itself with balance. Bone protrusions stuck out of its body, serving as protection to its soft flesh. Lastly, a bone mask covered its face; red marks ingrained onto it. It was rather large, Morgana noted, and looked like a dinosaur from one of those flicks that he and Ren watched at home.

Ren seemed to have noticed it as well, the noise it was making giving away it's presence. The beast was rather loud, and it didn't seem to have any intentions of hiding either, as it kicked up the ground below it and crouched.

It was going to make a move.

That didn't go well with Morgana.

Prying himself from Ren's hands and jumping onto his shoulder, Morgana leaped off it, adrenaline pumping as he yelled out words all too familiar to him.

" **Persona!** "

Blue flames manifested from nothing, before Mucurius shot through them. Its target being the single grimm ahead of them. The spear in its right hand poised to strike when in range.

When it had reached the grimm not even a second passed by.

Not a second passed by when it bisected the grimm in two.

With its job done, Murcurius disappeared from the world, returning within Morgana; waiting to be summoned when needed.

Ren watched on from behind Morgana, his eyes widening only slightly for an instant, before adjusting his glasses. A smirk forming on his face.

Morgana was still in action, just not in the form he expected.

"Morgana!" Ren yelled out to the cat, trying to gain his attention. He wanted to try something, whether it worked or not didn't matter. They needed to experiment before moving along.

"What is it?" Morgana slowly asked, shocked that his ability to summon his persona not hindered by his body. Was it because of the remaining power of Yaldaboath power Remnant that allowed him to summon his persona? Or maybe this world was like the metaverse? Questions shot through his head, the poor cat in a stupor. He could do something now, unlike their world he could do something!

Morgana spun around, his eyes wide, and a smile threatening to split his face. This was great! He could fight even in this body, that meant he could be of use without getting in anyone's way!

He was ecstatic. The excitement running throughout his tiny body. But what Ren asked a second later made his heart almost stop, the amount of excitement almost ending his life here and there.

"Try transforming." Ren told him, a sly smile on his face as he thought of the idea. If Morgana could summon a persona, then that should mean the world was similar to the metaverse in some way. And if it was similar, that meant Morgana should be able to do things just like in the metaverse.

Wide eyed, his mouth gaping, and his heart beating painfully fast, Morgana yelled.

"Morgana~… Transform!" And in a poof no longer stood the housecat.

What stood before them was the Phantom Thief, Morgana. Standing proud, elated that he could transform just as he did in the metaverse.

Ren smile grew wild; Morgana's even wilder than his.

Morgana was back in business, and this time it was for good.

* * *

Quite a bit of time had passed since then, and a few hours had gone by in an instant. But those hours were well spent as it gave them a general sense of what they had inherited in this world, and what they were capable of.

By default, Ren's clothing would be that of the clothes he put on, only changing to their metaverse outfits whenever he willed it too. The same principle for Morgana, except he transformed. Their metaverse outfits provided protection against the grimm's attacks, exuding an energy that wasn't present before, something Ren and Morgana would have to investigate sooner or later.

Personas were the same as the metaverse, however they learned that they could use the skill of the persona without summoning it. Albeit at the sacrifice of power, it was handy for more covert operations. A giant mythological being crashing through a building tossing out the elements would be hard to explain after all.

Their powers and strengths were there with them as well. Akira and Morgana capable of vanishing when hiding behind corners just like they had in palaces. Akira capable of using the third eye whenever he wanted, while Morgana could transform whenever he pleased. No lag had been in their movements, the two capable of decimating the grimm with their weapons, while also capable of their acrobatic feats.

May the poor grimm that they found to test their capabilities rest in peace.

Speaking of grimm, the two thieves quickly learned that the place was packed with them. Many had confronted the two, aiming to snuff their lives. The creatures coming in many shapes and forms: wolves, bears, giant birds, and even a scorpion had all tried to end them.

Tried, at least.

It worried Ren and Morgana. Theses things were absolutely relentless, only stopping after a hundred of them or so had their lives ended. Their area of attack spells proving useful, as it had taken out many of them without overexerting the two thieves.

The two weren't exhausted, but that didn't mean they could go on like this forever.

Moving along the beaten path, they followed wherever it led, only hoping that it would lead to civilization. The sun was setting, and as much as Ren loved nature, he didn't want to be stuck in a forest without any gear for camping, especially with the grimm crawling about.

They were pitch black in color, the only other color being their red eyes and white masks on their bodies.

It would be suicide to fight at night.

Without a word, the two picked up the pace, hoping to whoever that they would reach a place to rest. Not wanting to spend the night in the forest.

Their hopes were answered.

They managed to climb a rather tall hill, one which gave them a rather good view of the land ahead of them. Elevated, they could see wooden buildings just a few stops ahead. It was perfect.

Except smoke and screams could be heard from the distance.

Before they knew it, the two of them were sprinting their way too the town ahead. Morgana turning into the "bus" almost immediately, Ren jumping into the driver seat shortly after.

There was no time to waste.

It was time to act.

* * *

She ran. She ran as fast as she could, screaming for everyone to head to the center hall. Doing everything she could do in order to save as many lives as possible.

This wasn't happening.

This wasn't how things were supposed to go.

This village was supposed to be a place of respite, one where huntsmen and huntresses alike could stop to for a rest from their missions. A place for travellers to stay when they were heading for the big city. This place was only five days walk away from the city of Vale. An hour if one took an airship.

Hunters of all kinds from all over come to this village, unknowingly protecting the place from bandits and the grimm. Just yesterday a group of them had stopped here, grabbed a few drinks, and rested at the local inn.

Yet they weren't here anymore, they left in the morning.

In fact, there were no hunters and huntresses here today. None had stopped by in the afternoon, which was a rare sight nowadays.

Something the grimm clearly took advantage of.

Daylight was still present; night coming to takes its place.

There were no hunters in the immediate area.

No airships from Vale had docked here today either. None that the citizens could use to escape.

This was the chance the grimm were waiting for.

How terrifying.

A group of beowolves, jumped out of the alley way she was passing. She managed to jump out of their way.

The man following her wasn't so lucky.

She could hear his screams, his cries for help. The sound of his body being torn to shreds.

She didn't want to die. Not here. Not like this.

Facing forward, tears streaming from her eyes, she ran. Ran away from the man dying. Running as far away from him as she could. Not wanting to be chow for those monsters. She ran as hard as she could, screaming for everyone to get to safety, that the town hall would be safe, that there were weapons they could use against the grimm. That everything would be fine so long as they reached the hall.

She prayed. Prayed to whoever watching over them.

Please let them live.

* * *

Morgana and Ren sprinted inside the town entrance. Fire and smoke blocking out the sky as they moved in. Screams of panic and fear resounding. The smell of smoke and blood filling their noses.

This was the first time they witnessed death like this.

It was horrible.

"Morgana, check for any survivors, take out any grimm that comes your way. Save anyone you can." Ren commanded. Those were his only words to the cat before taking off. His clothes changing to his metaverse uniform as blue flames covered his being. Paradise lost on his right; God of Destruction on his left.

His aim was the center of the town, a large building he assumed to be the town hall. No doubt that the people of the town would try to hole themselves there. That they would try to hold off until help arrived.

It was a good plan.

Assuming help did arrive.

The sound of guns firing could be heard from the direction he was heading. Yells of panic shortly after.

His eyes narrowed, a mask manifesting itself on his face.

Help would get there soon.

Just hold on.

* * *

Morgana ran on the rooftops, jumping from building to building, using the elevation to scout out for anyone alive. Whenever he did find a person in need, he would use Utopia to shoot from afar to either save them or clear their path, before moving on.

He was left with a task, a rather demanding one, and was left to his own devices. Ren trusted him, and Ren knew Morgana was fully capable of doing what was told, that's why he left him to do this.

If it weren't for the situation, Morgana would have gloated. Stating that no one else was fit for the job, and that only someone of his caliber was capable of pulling it off.

Now wasn't the time for that however. Action spoke louder than words after all.

Finishing up his rounds, the cat had quickly scouted out all the main streets and alleyways connecting to each other. The town wasn't all that large to begin with making his work simpler than he initially thought. Finishing up, Morgana was ready to leap towards town hall, stopping when he heard yells.

Rather young ones at that.

Quickly turning around, Morgana could only gape at what he saw. This was possibly the worst situation he had seen yet in this town. Sure, he saw dead bodies littering the streets, but most of those were adults, those who died fighting as they usually held some kind of weapon in their hands. Fighting to their last breaths.

It was admirable, yet oh so very foolish.

Just beside the building he was standing on were five children, and two adults. Using the building as a way to cover their flanks. The children huddled together between the adults, who were trying to shield them the best that they could. The man and woman were injured quite severely; the woman had a limp in her step, while the man had bandages wrapping his right forearm. The two were armed though, both were holding hand gun by the looks of it.

However, that wouldn't do any good against being surrounded but the wolves.

Four beowolves stood in front of them, effectively cornering them. They were waiting for an opportunity to land the killing blow. Snarling and growling, trying to intimidate the family into making a false step. One which would cost them all their lives.

Morgana growled at the sight. These beasts had no honor, attacking the weak and injured.

This would not do.

Not do at all.

Jumping off the building, Morgana readied himself to take out the grimm in one fell swoop. However, a thought ran through his head. 'What if they shoot me?!' he screamed internally. He was essentially a monster cat right now, he could easily be mistaken as some kind of mutant grimm thingy. One the adults would have no guilt of shooting as they were on a high of adrenaline. He could take a bullet or two but that shit hurts!

With a poof of smoke, Morgana turned into his cat form. He would use his persona for this situation. These beasts would be given no mercy.

None whatsoever.

* * *

They ran as fast as they could. He and his wife carrying their children as far as they could take them, before realising they had to put them down and let them run on their own.

His right forearm slashed at by the grimm that crashed into their house, that very same grimm ramming itself onto his wife and twisting her ankle. The hand guns he carried in the house saving their lives.

They ran as far as they could, almost making it to town hall, where everyone would be heading in the case of a grimm attack.

The town wasn't prepared for this one however, the intensity behind this attack unlike any that has happened before.

Nevermores swooped down and crashed into their broadcast tower, destroying their means of communication with the city just an hour away. Ursa and beowolves, stampeded the front gates, quickly overwhelming the people in charge of watch duty, before entering the town in numbers too many to count. The town had grown lax from the peace it seemed, and because of it they would pay dearly.

He heard a cry and turned around to see what was wrong. His wife had fell, and his children were trying to get her back up. Begging her to keep going, that they were only a few blocks away from the hall itself. That they would be safe there.

That was when the grimm had surrounded them.

Quickly telling his children to get behind him, he held the gun towards the grimm, more than willing to blow their heads off the moment they came close. His wife did the same, covering his six, fighting the pain in her leg in order to leave no blind spots. The family boxed themselves to the building, their backs facing behind it in order to leave no surprise attacks on their flanks.

They would be damned if they let any of their children die right here and now.

The beowolves took stance, ready to pounce on them at a moments notice. They knew the couple couldn't kill all of them at once. That they could at least maul a few members of the family, maybe even all of them if they were lucky.

Of course, the grimm weren't lucky, not this time at least.

Before they could pounce, a 'poof' could be heard above them. Confused by the noise, the grimm looked up, only to find a cat had leapt from the top of the building, landing between them, and the family. A black cat with a yellow collar, and blue eyes that seemed to glow amidst the fire and chaos around them. It was poised to strike back at the grimm, its stance threatening, yet…

A cat. A rather small one too, mind you.

The grimm could only stare at it. Almost perturbed by its sudden arrival. The family could only gawk at the pet in front of them.

The cat growled, threatening the grimm, as if daring them to strike.

The beowolves, being the harbingers of destruction that they were, did the only thing appropriate at the moment.

They howled. Not as a threat, but in amusement. Entertained that such a small creature would try and stand up against them.

The cat, however, didn't seem to like that.

Not one bit.

The cat howled, its voice holding a power indescribable to those present. A hurricane appeared out of nowhere, wisps of green accompanying it, as well as lighting between the waves of wind. The grimm stood no chance against the whirlwind as they were in the center of it. When it was all over, all that was left of the beasts was black smoke rising, a clear sign telling that they were killed.

The family stared in awe, unsure of what just happened.

The cat, smug with its accomplishment, turned around to face them. Its eyes locking onto the wounds of the two adults, the cuts and scrapes of the children also in mind.

With another sound from the cat, a green glow covered the family, ribbons of light moving around them. If one paid attention they would have noticed that the ribbons of light had created a few hearts before disappearing.

The family looked at one another, their cuts and scrapes all gone, their bodies looking as thought they had just bathed. The woman looked at her ankle in wonder, experimentally putting weight on it before realizing it was just fine. The man looking at his arm, the pain no longer there. Quickly ripping off the bandages to realize that bleeding had stopped, and that there no longer a gash on it.

Just what the hell was this cat?

Before they could thank the feline, it meowed and ran away from them. It took off towards town hall, running down the street that led to it. It turned around and meowed at them, almost telling them to follow.

Remembering the situation they were in, the man quickly told everyone to start running, that they weren't out of the woods just yet. The family ran towards town hall, more effectively now that his wife's leg was now healed. What happed he wasn't too sure, but he was sure of one thing.

That cat saved their lives.

He would get that cat a present when this was all over.

That was a promise.

* * *

Ren decimated any grimm that stood in his way, using his gun and blade to put them to rest the moment they were in striking range. All the while running toward the town center. He would've used his personas, but he had to use them sparingly, knowing full well that he couldn't burn himself out.

Up ahead, Ren noticed three bear like grimm standing in his path, the same kind of grimm he and Morgana had tested their abilities on. The bear grimm noticing him, took position, waiting for him come into striking range. They would allow him to strike first, before they would crush him altogether Their tough hides more than enough to take on a simple knife.

Too bad Ren saw it coming a mile away.

" **Lucifer,** _ **Heat riser**_ **"** Ren called out. The effects of the spell hitting him immediately. His speed, power, and defenses enhanced, Ren ran straight at the Ursai, going fast enough that he could be only described as a blur. Ren closed the gap between him and the grimm in half a second, the Ursai only noticing him when he was already an arms length away from them. Surprised by the speed of the human, the bears struck at the spot Ren was currently in. Cracking the concrete beneath them, they expected to find a bloody, battered human underneath the clutches.

Except he wasn't.

The sound of a gun cocking from above, the Ursai looked up, the sight being one to remember. The human was smirking, upside down in the air, his gun pointing at them. The Ursai opened their mouths, attempting to roar at the man, only for their heads to be blown up. Their bone mask doing nothing to stop the speeding projectile from penetrating their faces.

Reorienting himself in the air, Ren landed in a crouch. Stopping his momentum, he looked around see if there were any more grimm heading towards him or blocking his way to the town hall.

There were none.

It seemed that he dealt with all of them.

How convenient.

Gun shots and screams could still be heard ahead of him however. He ran as fast as his feet could carry him, _heat riser_ still in effect, he became a blur to the human eye. Ren activated his third eye, scanning out what was ahead of him, noticing the aura of red coming from the town hall.

Enemies. Lots of them.

Reaching the town square, Ren took in the sight, as much as he wanted to look away this was the reality these people lived in. This was something he would have to acknowledge while staying in this world.

Dozens of grimm swarmed the area, and while he wasn't sure what their names are he could tell what animals they derived from. Grimm shaped as bears, boars, and small dinosaurs infested the town square. All trying to break their way through the gate that led to the town hall building. Ren had to say he was kind of impressed.

That was one hell of a gate. If it was able to keep the grimm out for so long.

He could see that people were firing bullets at the grimm, prioritizing those that were trying to climb the gate itself. The grimm who did manage to enter the courtyard were quickly dealt with by a _garudyne_ courtesy of Morgana.

Wait a minute- Morgana?

Narrowing his eyes, he could faintly see his black cat sitting on the front step of town hall. By the looks of it he stationed himself there so that no grimm could enter the building. The cat throwing out wind spells to whoever got too close for his liking.

Morgana on guard duty. Nice~.

However, despite knowing Morgana was more than capable of taking out this horde. The cat prioritized protecting the people before taking out the enemy. It was because of this that Ren knew that Morgana would run out of steam eventually. The cat was probably saving his energy for healing those who needed it. And as such, it was Ren responsibility to deal the with the monsters out front.

Ren smirked at the prospect.

Walking to the space behind the horde; silently, yet at a brisk pace. Reaching his destination, Ren looked at the back of horde, all the while smirking.

A wave of power burst forth from him, destroying the grimm closest to him, while blowing away the fortunate few ahead of them.

Silence followed shortly after.

The horde turned around. Their eyes screaming murder, and a slow ending for whoever it was who interrupted them. Snarls, growls, and grunts escaped the grimm's mouths. Their eyes locking onto the masked man in front of them.

Summoning Paradise to his right hand, and Destruction on the left. Ren braced himself for the battle to come. A demonic smile painting its way onto his face.

Apologies.

He was mistakened.

This wouldn't be a battle.

 **It would be a one-sided massacre.**


	6. New faces

The younger grimm charged the masked man in front of them. Their screams and roars promising a slow death and destruction to whoever dared try to defy them.

Yet he stood unfazed, hands in his pocket, smirking at them as though his life wasn't in danger.

" _ **Heat riser."**_ Ren said. His body surrounded by pillars of green, purple, and red. The rays of light disappeared, and he took a stance, prepared for the incoming horde.

The juveniles didn't care what he did. They were only a few feet away from him, his body just a few seconds from being turned to ripped flesh. And when they finally reached him…

He vanished. Nowhere to be found.

The grimm ran through air, the man no longer standing in the spot he was in. Like a ghost he was no longer there.

Where had he gone?

They stopped the charge, their bodies clumsily colliding with each other. They aimlessly searched left and right, looking for where he had retreated to.

" _ **Riot gun"**_ they heard from above them. Their heads snapping up to where they heard the noise from. There above them was the masked man; upside down in the air, and his gun pointing at them as he pulled the trigger.

Then all hell broke loose.

Lightning shot out from the heavens above them like bullets, disintegrating anything in its path. Thunder roared from the skies, shaking the world beneath. It was if the gods had came down to exact vengeance against them.

The grimm could do nothing but scream. Their bodies taking the full brunt of the attack, and disappearing shortly after.

How pitiable.

Ren landed effortlessly on the ground, his grin growing even cockier than before. What was once a battalion of juvenile grimm now was black smoke. The land beneath destroyed by the skill he used.

" _Too easy~."_ He taunted at the grimm, trying to get a rise out of them. A blade appeared on his right where the gun once was, only him to rest it on his shoulder, and taunt them his left hand. Waving at them to come at him, daring them to try.

The older grimm watched warily, unsure of what had just transpired. Some backed away in order to make some space between the smiling man and themselves. Others took the challenge presenting itself to them, charging forward once more just like their fallen comrades.

Ren's smirk grew larger at that. Pleased to know the grimm were just as big as a fool as he was.

A snowman dressed as a jester appeared behind him, dancing as though it was entertained by the grimm. _**"Concentrate."**_ he said, a blue light surrounding him as **Jack Frost** danced.

The grimm were halfway from their mark, eager just like those before them. However, before they could even reach their destination…

" _ **Mabufudyne."**_ He whispered.

Winter decided to come early.

As if they were transported to the icy land of Atlas itself, the world froze over. A forest of ice emerged from the ground, freezing the grimm inside their trunks or impaling them when it formed beneath them. Those that survived the initial assault were frozen solid, the temperature well reaching below zero. A frozen forest had appeared, killing any trapped inside its embrace, freezing its victims for all eternity.

A fine spectacle a certain aspiring artist would have said.

 _But they are fated to perish._

The ice cracked and the trees waned. The forest and grimm shattered, their remains crashing into the ground. Frozen pieces of grimm and ice alike shattered, before being blow away by the wind, never to be seen again.

What was once a winter wonderland, was now an empty grave for the many grimm that had come.

They will never be missed.

The rest of the grimm were twitching now, unbelieving what they just witnessed. Twice had the man spoken, and twice had their ranks been annihilated. This person was powerful, and he wasn't using any dust to perform these feats.

What the hell was he?

The grimm hesistated, but before they could launch a the man decided to make his move. Appearing in front of the horde with his knife. The blade glowing, as if reveling in the destruction that was soon to come.

He slashed at them, his blade cutting through their bodies with ease and expertise. Their bodies fell one by one, littered with shallow and deep cuts. The grimm could only cry out in agony as their lives were stolen from their very eyes. The bodies piled up, almost never ending. Just how good was this man?

Making quick work of the monsters before him, Ren smirked at them. He laughed like a maniac, enjoying that they showed no resistance to his dance.

The grimm woke up from their shock, letting out war cries as the lashed out at him. They swiped, clawed, rammed, and bit at him, trying their best to remove a limb or two from their assailant. Some boarbatusks were even thrown by Ursai; their bodies making good projectiles it seemed.

But he dodged them all. Swerving left and right, dancing in between their attack as though he could see them a mile away. With style and grace, Ren avoided all oncoming attacks, narrowly letting them fly past his body like the wind. Never once being touched by their filthy bodies.

The creatures of darkness seemed to know when to stop. Forcing themselves to make some distance from him. They stared, wondering what in the world was he, for they were sure of one thing.

This guy wasn't a normal human. Nor was he a hunter.

This guy was a monster. One wearing the skin of a human.

It made their blood freeze.

They were knocked out of their thoughts when the man stopped moving. Blue flames and chains appeared around and behind him, the mask on disintegrating revealing his face to the world. The flames grew out of control until something appeared out of them.

A pale girl with blonde hair appeared from the fire, curtsying as she appeared before them. She wore a blue dress, a white ribbon wrapping around it which was tied to a bow behind her, so it wouldn't fall off. She twirled around before raising both arms in the air, happily crying out a command that the grimm could not resist.

" _ **Die for me!"**_ she yelled, laughing while she watched the world burned.

The grimm screamed in absolute terror.

The world before them warped and twisted into something of nightmares. They could only watch as hell came to reality; witnessing something oh so very terrifying.

The world sparkled.

It _sparkled._

The world turned baby pink and baby orange, mysteriously surrounding them like air. The fore and background had twinkles of light, stars, and bubbles. The image burned into their heads as they couldn't even close their eyes to block out the nightmare.

And then _they_ appeared.

Giant teddy bears shot out from nowhere, running towards the grimm with their arms wide open. Whatever grimm that got caught by them were given a spine crushing hug; one that would never be released no matter what. Some died from the pressure of the hug, their bodies exploding and limbs flying. Others survived the bear hug, and struggled to break free, but it only seemed to tighten the hold on them. Some of the grimm even died from the humiliation; it being too much to handle mentally.

They never noticed the dynamite strapped to the bear's backs.

They exploded. Body parts of toys and grimm alike flew into the air. Blood and stuffing filling the air, scattering across the ground before disappearing. The army was annihilated in one go, their death's by teddy bears never to be forgotten.

It was a massacre like no other. The only person left being the masked man in the plaza.

Silence permeated the air, never letting go of it until the man spoke.

" _Too easy."_ He yawned. Bored by the fact the enemies before him hardly put up a fight.

He glanced over at the large building occupying all the citizens before walking towards it. Jumping over the gate that stood in his way. Morgana was nowhere to be seen so that mean he was inside, probably treating the injured.

He hoped he wasn't too late.

* * *

Ren was not too late.

Not too late at all.

He entered through the front door; it somehow being unlocked. He fully expected people to retreat from him in fear. He got a little too carried away, and because of it he had let out some of his stronger abilities.

What could he say, he was a show off at heart.

Anyways, instead of the people running off in fear as he had thought, he was instead flooded with people clamoring at him. They surrounded him, eyes sparkling, all the while yelling in praise.

"WHAT WAS THAT?!"

"THAT WAS AMAZING!"

"THANK YOU SO MUCH!"

"CAN I HAVE YOUR AUTOGRAPH?!"

The sound of citizens filled the hall, the crowd only growing bigger as time went on. The citizens were ecstatic that the grimm haunting them were no more. However, before they could thank the man anymore he spoke.

" _Enough."_

And the hall went silent.

Pleased that they were done, he looked around for a certain feline, only for the cat to find him.

" _Meow"_ it said, appearing from beneath the legs of a citizen in front of him. Making his way toward Ren before stopping to sit.

Pleased to know that his friend was fine, Ren picked up the cat despite it's vocal protests, laughing as he was pawed at.

"I assume you healed a majority of them?" Ren said. The tone of his voice suggesting he already knew the answer. The cat only nodded, not even giving him a vocal response, before jumping out of his hands. The citizens jumped out of the cat's way, not wanting to be jumped by the furball.

Before anyone else could speak, Ren yelled at the civilians. Issuing orders and instructions to them.

"Lock the doors and keep watch. Shoot any grimm that come towards the building. Barricade all possible entrances. If there are too many, scream for help. I'll come as soon as I'm finished."

The civilians nodded, remembering that they weren't out of the woods just yet. They had sent an emergency S.O.S by radio, hoping that the city of Vale had received it. They were on their own until help arrived however, meaning they weren't exactly safe.

Men and women holding fire arms took off to the window, setting themselves up and acting as the first line of defense. Others barricaded the doors with furniture, which had been blown away by the force of the lightning that struck earlier. Those who could fight armed themselves to the teeth; swords, spears, shields and kitchen knives in hand, ready to fight till the end in order to protect those deeper inside the building.

Satisfied with the preparation, Ren walked further into the building, Morgana leading the way. They walked to the end of the building where those who couldn't fight; elderly, injured, and children alike stayed. A door blocked their path, a room dedicated for the former. Ren opened the door with vigor, expecting the worst, but what he saw instead...

"KITTY!" the children screamed. Charging the cat that stood beside him. Morgana screaming for help, his eyes rolling to the back of his head as they squeezed, groped, and hugged him.

' _Rest in peace'_ Ren thought, ignoring the cries for help in favor of looking inside the room.

The smell of blood and medical supplies filled space before him. The groans and moans of pain filling his ears. The occupants inside seemed to look at him all at the same time. Their eyes widening when they saw him, or rather the mask on his face.

"White Fang? What are they doing here?!"

"Everyone! hide!"

"We're going to die!"

' _That's more like it'_ Ren thought, more familiar with the scorned looks than the ones of excitement from earlier. Raising his eyebrow, he wondered just who this 'White Fang' group was to cause this much fear. Shaking his head, he decided to banish the thought. Deciding to clear up the misunderstanding, he spoke; his voice loud and clear.

"I'm not part of the White Fang." Ren said, his voice monotone and bored. Before they could speak again, Ren opened his mouth first, letting his concerns and motives known to the occupants around him.

"Is there anyone in need of medical assistance?" He asked. His voice now taking a more serious tone, his eyes burning with concern. The occupants of the room shifted, not trusting him in the slightest of him. They stayed silent, amazingly so, before letting out their breaths. They needed all the help they could get.

"A woman got hurt coming here, last one to come inside I'm afraid. Poor girl was screaming for everyone to get here, helping anyone she could. She… A creep rammed her, she's lost consciousness since." A man explained to him. "Even when the cat healed her she was still pretty beaten up, her body is black and blue, and most of us think she's not going to make it…"

"Are there any others?" Ren asked. The man nodded, gesturing to the back of the room where the more wounded were being treated. Ren turned his body to face Morgana, who was in the death grip of the children, each of them fighting over who gets to play with him.

"Mona!" Ren called, snapping the cat out of his dilemma. Wiggling free from his prison, he ran to Ren, and explained the situation.

"Too many people came in at once, and I can only heal so many at a time. Having to use _Mediarahan,_ _Salvation, and Samerecarm_ all the time burned me out like crazy. You should've seen it! People fainted on the ground, others covered in cuts and burns... So many were injured I could barely keep up!" Morgana said, clearly frustrated at his inability.

"I managed to give her a _recarm_ , but it was only at half strength… her body was bruised up beyond recognition when she came in… Poor girl." Morgana finished. Still scarred by the image of the battered female carried into the room. She somehow managing to survive for that long was a miracle on its own.

Understanding of Morgana's plight, he patted the feline on the head and nodded to the cat, mouthing a quick "Thank you" before walking to the corner where the injured were stationed.

The citizens could only stare at the man, unsure of what he was planning to do. Before Ren could reach the back someone grabbed his sleeve, stopping him and his advance. Turning around, a women with children at her feet stopped him. Her eyes hard and unrelenting.

"What do you plan on doing?" She said. Her eyes narrowing as she glared him down. As much as she trusted the cat, she didn't trust a man in a mask. Especially if he was affiliated with the now violent White Fang. If he was planning on killing or abducting anyone injured she would tackle him here and now.

She needed to make sure; for her and the others sake.

Ren didn't move an inch, only staring at the woman in front of him. He would wait as long as it would take, if it meant gaining so little trust for him to do something. The woman let go of him, but not before giving him a hard look, one that he responded by nodding at her. Ren continued to the back of the room, his steps calm and serene.

When he had reached the back, he took a look at everyone. The woman mentioned was beaten to a pulp. She was unconscious still, bandages wrapping her form, black and blue showing wherever she wasn't bandaged. Others were also present, sitting against the wall enduring the pain. Many wore impromptu splints for their arms and legs, others were covered in cuts and bruises. The smell of medical supplies and blood even stronger than ever.

Deciding that there was no time to waste, Ren summoned Ishtar into reality, blue flames surrounding the ethereal goddess of war and love. The citizens watching in awe at the divine being in front of them. The goddess seemed to regard them too, giving a couple of men a show as she winked at them, making them blush at the rather flirty attitude.

What a temptress.

" _ **Salvation"**_ he announced. Not holding back in the slightest. People were suffering, and if he had the power to help them then he would use it to the best of his abilities.

Ishtar heeding his command, she waved her arms in the air. Ribbons of light spread forth from her hands, going around the room as it healed anyone that sustained any damage.

Those that were in front of Ren received the blessing first, their cuts and bruises disappearing in an instant. The woman that was once unconscious awoke from her injures, gasping as she witnessed the light dance around her. She reached out to touch it, just disappearing as it was in her grasp.

The others that were once injured stared at their bodies. Broken arms and legs were no more, cuts and bruises healed in an instant, even the headaches of a few were relieved.

It was amazing. Both to witness and to feel.

Ishtar vanished from the world, returning within Ren. Satisfied with her work, Ren walked away from the back of the room, not batting an eye to any of the citizens, heading to the door ahead. He was about to walk out with Morgana in tow when someone called out to him.

"WAIT!" The now healed woman screamed, desperately trying to gain his attention. Standing at full height as she called him. Ren turned around, acknowledging her request, waiting for what she had to say.

"Who are you?" She asked, wanting to know her saviours name. She had regained consciousness, but instead of being an injured mess she was fine, better than she ever felt in her own lifetime. The masked man being the only odd one in the room, someone who just so happened to walk away from her and the others when they were healed.

She was sure it was him who did this. She needed to thank him, but she didn't know how. She would at least get his name.

"Call me Joker." Humoring the woman that had asked. "It's still unsafe at the moment; please get some rest." He finished. Leaving the room as the cat followed him, leaving them to wonder just who the masked man really was.

"Joker…" the woman whispered. Somewhat peeved that he gave her a nickname, not believing for a second that _that_ was his real name.

The woman sighed, her vacation at her home town ruined, and almost dying from injuries didn't help. Oh well, at least she wasn't dead.

She was an esteemed news anchor and reporter, one known throughout Vale as it's news representative. Sure her job was dangerous every once in a while, but this was pushing it…

However, that didn't mean she didn't gain anything from this. Grabbing her scroll, which had somehow survived, she ran to the door ignoring the other's pleas for her to stay and get rest. Yeah right, not when such a huge scoop was in the making.

Smiling to herself, Lisa Lavender pushed past the doors, a determined look on her face. Wanting to get a photo of the hero, but not before she thanked him. She whispered the words aloud, reciting to herself what she wanted to say.

"Thank you… Joker."

 _Really...Thank you so much._

* * *

The grimm were no problem after that. Apparently learning something from the experience.

 _Don't mess with the masked man with red gloves. You will die._

Whenever he showed up they would run. It reminded Ren of his time in Shujin Academy actually; students avoiding him like the plague.

How fun that was.

It felt like an eternity, but dawn finally came. Soon the citizens walked onto the streets of the destroyed town. Homes and stores were destroyed, but they could be built again with some effort.

Lives were lost, but that was life in Remnant. They would endure, he was sure of it.

They always had.

Airships from Vale came flying, all ranging with their own purpose. Airships carrying medical supplies and health personnel, others carrying news reporters, and some even carrying civilians from what he could tell. The latter coming to see if their families had survived, mourning when they learned of their relatives deaths, rejoicing when reunited; all crying regardless.

And that's when _they_ came.

He was still in his phantom thief outfit; it providing stealth and protection. He watched from the shadows as an airship came in, larger than all the rest. Out of it came people unlike anyone else, people who held themselves like warriors. Carrying various weapons of all shapes and sizes too.

Interested, Ren activated his third eye, blinking in pleasant surprise at what he saw.

So these were the people who had this 'aura'. How peculiar.

The grimm always gave off a red outline, meaning they were all strong and dangerous regardless. Regular people had no outline whatsoever similar to the civilians in his world. But these guys…

These guys were all over the place.

"That's a _lot_ of colors" Ren said. Not knowing how else to put it. Purple, brown, black, green, orange, and more. It was like watching an episode of neo featherman, it was absolutely ridiculous. But despite the plethora of colors he noticed something.

The intensity and sizes varied. Greatly.

They had the same outline as an enemy does, but its size ranged varied. Some were the same old outline size, while others were larger and more noticeable. It was like comparing a fine liner to a marker. Some of their aura's were calm, yet others flickered like a flame.

"It looks like third eye can't effectively measure how strong people with aura actually are." He said as he finished observing them. He was about to turn it off, but he quickly saw someone who caught his eye.

Or rather, her aura.

Turning it off, Ren observed the woman who came out the bullhead last. She stood tall and seemed to have some sort of vibe to her. Body language that demanded respect, and green eyes sharp and analytical, he was reminded of Makoto, and just like Makoto it would seem best to not piss her off.

"She's strong." Ren noted. The aura she was giving off larger than anyone in the vicinity, and it was like a wildfire in terms of intensity. She was an anomaly, a seasoned huntress, he deduced. She had experience, and it showed visibly. He was about to walk away, but…

She stared at his direction, looking at something or someone; namely himself.

Quickly moving to another piece of cover, Ren started sweating a bit. _'Had she saw me?'_ he wondered in horror. Not too keen on having these super powered people on his tail, especially when he had no idea on their capabilities. He was at a disadvantage towards them. Not in terms of power but on information.

Glancing back at the woman, she was looking at where he had been, studying it. It seemed she didn't actually saw him, only sensing his presence; albeit slightly. Relief washed over him, his paranoia disappearing entirely. Ren moved along, his clothes turning to that of a normal civilian once more, walking out of the cover that he was behind.

' _Time to meet up with Morgana'_ he thought to himself. The two rendezvousing at a place where they could gather as much information as they could, one where the two could go to without looking suspicious.

The public library.

Books are great after all.

And it was a good place to calm down. Especially from all the running they did.

Man was he tired. Maybe he could take a nap...

His stomach then wailed, protesting to his idea. Needing sustenance as he hadn't eaten since yesterday.

Blushing to himself, he looked around if anyone had heard him.

A lot of people it seemed. Many smiling at him, while the more obnoxious ones laughed at him.

How embarrassing.

Glancing at a café he was about to pass, opening just after a grimm attack, he walked in.

First, he needed food. For both him and Morgana.

He just hoped lien was like Japanese, or American currency. The two being the only denominations he was familiar with.

He wasn't paranoid. Just careful.

Really careful.

Do not judge.

* * *

Lisa Lavender ran to her news crew the moment they touched down. Hugging the staff she worked with for so long. They were happy she was okay, but a little freaked out that she could display this much emotion.

She was a little… stern before the incident. The new her kind of put them off a bit, but they welcomed the change regardeless. Glad to see that their news anchor was okay.

"What happened?" A journalist asked. Wondering how the town had survived till daybreak. When they heard about the attack it was 4 in the morning. Everyone at the head department scrambling to get a team to the town. When the place had finally come into view, everyone was tense, expecting no survivors.

So how did the residents look so scott-free of injuries, when the town looked like it was beaten to a pulp by a goliath?

Lisa looked at the new hire with fire in her eyes, grabbing his shoulders with both her hands. "Long story short, I got ran over by a creep, got revived by a cat or so I've been told, and then healed by a mask man. No, he is not part of the white fang, and yes, I do have eye witnesses. The whole town can vouch for me." She said to him, which extended to the crew. Before any could question her sanity, she threw her scroll at them, a video on it for all of them to see.

In the center was a man with a long knife in hand, slashing at an ursa major three times, killing the beast as it evaporated into nothing. Creeps charged him, but he flipped atop of them and ripped their masks off, ending their lives instantly. The camera then zoomed into he man's face, a bird like domino mask covering the top portion, but revealing his eyes. Furthermore, he had a cocky grin on his face the entire time, as if enjoying the action.

"I want everyone to interview some of the town folks while also notifying the head honcho in charge of the hunters. This guy not only single handily defended the town, but he did some crazy healing magic. It's crazy, but its true. Now get off your asses and get moving people!" She all but commanded. A message underneath her words that only they could see. Being with her for so long giving them insight on what she truly meant at time.

 _He saved my life, I want to thank him._

The news team ran off, notifying the hunters, while beginning their usual news cast routine. Lisa looked over at the plaza, ready to begin her own private interview with the town's residents before she noticed a certain famous huntswoman.

Glynda Goodwitch. Head mistress of Beacon academy in the flesh.

Familiar with the woman, having interviewed her a few times. Lisa walked towards her, glad to have seen the esteemed huntress.

She had one hell of a story to tell her about after all.

She just hoped she wasn't ignored like last time. Or that other time, or that one time, or…

She sighed, dreading at what was in store.

She could only hope she was given the time of day this time.

* * *

When the two had rendezvoused, they ate on the steps leading to the library. When they were done, they entered the abandoned library; it still intact after the attack. It was quite large, almost comparable to town hall really. Being two floors high with shelves of books that doubled over Ren's height, the two quickly realized it would be better to split up. Morgana turning into his true form in order to pick up the books he thought were useful.

They spent the first hour finding books about the history of remnant: it's people, culture, and technology. The pile stacked to the point that it was almost comedic. If it was anyone else, they would have died from the sheer thought of reading that many books.

For Ren though, it was heaven. Something he had learned to admire: his knowledge, gets, proficiency, kindness, and charm all increasing from learning what books had to offer.

They were truly a life saver, especially when he needed to bond with a person.

Ren only needed about two hours to finish the stack; the skills he learned from the speed-reading book saving him precious time. By the time they were done it was only noon.

"So this place has a species called 'Faunus'… No wonder I saw so many ears!" Morgana exclaimed. Shocked by the revelation. He thought that it was some kind of fashion trend, but when he thought about it more carefully it made sense. That woman he passed by today smelled too much like a cat to not actually be one…

"It also seems there is an animosity towards them, especially to the White Fang." Ren added on, displeased to know that hatred and racism was a prominent part of this worlds history. Adding to his disgust was the fact that the White Fang had turned violent, and just recently too. The book in his hands that he had read it from released only 3 years ago, by a man named Tukson if the name had anything to prove that is.

"The technological advances are amazing though. Transforming weapons _and_ airships? I mean Atlas has robots! Robots!" Morgana continued, his eyes sparkling as though he had found a treasure once more. Ecstatic that this world had something so cool.

What could he say? Watching anime with Futaba changed him. Not that it was a bad thing at least.

Laughing at his companion's antics, he put his hands onto the cat's head before ruffling it. "That and the fact that everyone with Aura has an individual semblance. Igor was right when he said it was like a persona." Ren said, genuinely interested in such a thing. No wonder those hunters had varying colors around them. It was like a persona, just not manifested into a mythological or fiction being.

How intriguing.

"Dust is pretty much energy of elements in…well _dust_ form, almost like those sets you made, wouldn't you agree?" Morgana snickered a smug smile on his face. True dust was impressive, but when it came down to it he knew Ren could make some more… Interesting objects if given the materials.

He wondered what Ren could make if he mixed the two…

But before Ren and Morgana could further think down that line, a somber look appeared on both of their faces. Similar thoughts running across their heads at the beasts they fought just last night.

"Grimm… their like shadows, but… even shadows have personality. These guys are just out to destroy anything made by human and faunus alike…" Morgana said. His thoughts similar to Ren's after all. They were beings of darkness, creatures that are drawn to negativity. Taking on the shape of animals yet built to destroy.

Where did they come from, and how were they made?

However, before they could theorise about the grimm, the doors to the library opened. Morgana yelped, changing to a cat, hoping to Igor that no one saw the change. Ren stood still, watching to see who had opened the doors.

Then _she_ came in.

The same woman who he had noticed his presence from earlier, the same woman whos aura was like no one else's.

"Is anyone in here?" She asked. Looking for anyone that had been injured it seemed. How the hunter didn't think to check this large building first was beyond their comprehension.

"Is there something you need?" Ren called back, a book about the history of Hunters and Huntresses in his hand.

With the sound of heels clicking, she approached him. She looked serious, especially so with a riding crop in her hand, no doubt a weapon. She sized him up, looking at him, before noticing the large pile of books stacked at his right.

"That's quite the reading you've done for yourself, young man." She told him. Her face blank, yet underneath impressed by the amount of reading he was about to do.

"Actually, I just finished. That pile that you're staring at had been finished just a little while ago." Giving her a genuine smile, he made eye contact with her. "I'm Ren Amamiya, it's nice to meet you." Introducing himself to the woman in front of him. Giving his full attention to her.

"I am Glynda Goodwitch. But please, call me Glynda." She said, a small yet noticeable tug on her lips. Impressed that the young man before her had not been scared shitless by her presence alone.

Morgana gaped atop one of the shelves, unbelieving at the situation at hand. Letting out a breath at what was transpiring in front of him.

Well…

First impressions were important after all.

He just hoped it wouldn't come back to bite them in the ass.

But knowing their luck…

' _Goddamnit Ren…'_ Morgana thought. Sulking as he saw the two make idle chit chat. Knowing full well that this was going to bite them in the ass.

He just _knew_ it would. One day or another.

Just you watch.


	7. A Sudden Development

**Line Break**

Glynda Goodwitch was a hard woman to please. Years of students failing to meet her expectations, grading horribly written essays, and her colleague's eccentric behaviour were all responsible for this. However, despite this, she could say that those that did manage to impress her were the ones she looked out for; those individuals always becoming something greater than she could ever imagine.

The young man in front of her was one of those people, she was sure of it. He was extremely plain looking: plain glasses, unkempt hair, and a hoodie to match his look; she was expecting the teen to be someone who didn't care about anything in general.

That opinion changed immediately after he had spoken to her.

He was well mannered, confident, and knowledgeable. Politely introducing himself, able to hold a conversation with her, and reading those books stacked beside them. Glynda knew he wasn't lying when he said he read them; she was not so easily deceived after all.

Some of the books beside him were university level writings, some not even used in Beacon's curriculum due to the sheer size and intensity of the book, yet the man before her had read them all. Heck, he had been able to give her a theory on different applications of dust that even she had not heard of before.

She was definitely going to apply it as soon as she had some free time.

If she had any free time that is. This batch of first years was a ticking time bomb, to her at least. From scythe wielding 15-year-old, to a civilian forging his way into beacon. Why in hell Ozpin decided that was a good idea was something she would gladly stay away from.

Trying to figure out would only lead to a migraine, which would then be drowned out by some of the stronger drinks she had in her office. She hoped she wouldn't need to use it anytime soon.

If only she knew.

Getting back on topic, the young man before had struck up many topics with her: dust theory and application, the mystery of aura, grimm biology and combat…

And then he spoke of hunters. Their duties, history, and the evolution of the career to where it was today. He seemed genuinely fascinated by them, something that gave her pride, for she was one herself and one of the people to raise such individuals.

Did he want to become a hunter in the future? She would gladly help if it means having a student as well versed as this young man. She was the second in command of Beacon academy, she could easily pull some strings if she wanted to. Of course, he would have to take a few tests. She was not like Ozpin, she would not invite a student without formality; that would be poor judgement on her part if she did.

"Miss Goodwitch is something the matter?" Ren asked, a concern look on his face. The woman just went into a trance of some sort, probably thinking hard about something important. Five minutes of her just staring in space as she muttered about "Admission" and "Stupid Headmasters".

Was the huntress a teacher?

"Apologies. It is nothing to worry about, I assure you." She said. Her long thoughts broken by Ren Amamiya if she remembered correctly. The teenager definitely had a strange name, one which she had never heard before. Probably from Mistral. "Are you interested in becoming a hunter Mister Amamiya?"

Ren seemed to think the question over, as if the idea had never crossed his mind before. He was about to answer, but then a loud crash interrupted him, shaking the building once over before a shriek pierced their ears.

"GRIMM!" they heard, their bodies already heading to the exit of the building, Morgana stealthily following from behind the shadows.

The doors opening by Glynda using her semblance, she looked outside before a building came crashing to the ground at the outskirts of the town. With her destination in mind, she jumped to the nearest building, planning to make her way there as quick as possible, but not before shouting at Ren.

"Head to the airships! It will be safe there!" Hopping to the next building, not even bothering to look at the man she just left behind. She was sure it would be fine after all, he had a good head on his shoulders, no doubt that he would listen to her order.

With a great leap, Glynda rushed to where the building had collapsed, all the while using her scroll to tell all hunters to evacuate the remaining citizens.

If she wasn't too busy, she would have noticed the young man following her. A serious look on his face.

It's show time… again.

* * *

Landing in the debris, Glynda searched around for any civilians that were caught in the attack. Luckily, it seemed that no one was harmed, and that they were being evacuated at this very moment.

She could only hope Ren got to the ships safely as well.

Hearing the roars of grimm, Glynda made her way to the noise, running to where the sound came from. Riding crop in her hand, she prepared herself for any grimm that were going to come her way. Gladly would she eradicate those that tried.

But she wasn't prepared for one of her students, Coco Adel, to be underneath debris, her head bleeding, and unconscious. Only her arms and upper body were free, the rest underneath stones and bricks from the surrounding buildings.

However, that was the least of Glynda's concern at the current moment. She could easily remove the debris on her, she could easily fix the buildings around them actually. The only thing stopping her from doing so was the grimm upon Miss Adel.

A death stalker. An old one by the sheer size of it; the size of a house. No doubt the one responsible for the destroyed buildings, probably ran into the structures to surprise any unlikely victims to be.

Miss Adel being that very victim.

Raising its stinger, the death stalker brought it down in an instant. Glynda could only raise her riding crop and try to stop the death blow on Coco. She was a second too late it seemed, the stinger already only a meter away from the body, the victim unaware of their apparent deathbed.

' _I'm not going to make it!'_ she screamed in her mind. Was this truly how a student of hers was going to die? Unaware all the while being watched by her own professor?

"NO!" She screamed, losing her composure as she watched the execution in front of her. Her very own student life going to be snuffed in front of her.

She was too late.

But _he_ wasn't.

Faster than the stinger descending on her student, she watched Ren appear from nowhere, before slashing at it with a blade in his hand, deflecting the oncoming stinger.

The death stalker shrieked in pain, its stinger now rendered useless as it laid limp. The beast clawed and pinched at the man now protecting the defenseless girl, its only goal to eliminate the person who had destroyed a vital part of its body.

Glynda watched in awe as he deflected the claws with the knife in his hand, not even budging as he blew the pincers away.

Quickly taking advantage of Ren's sudden appearance, Glynda removed the debris holding Miss Adel down, before running to her and picking her up. The young lady groaned at the sudden movement, something that made Glynda glad. She was still alive, her pained response proving that she was going to be okay in due time.

Jumping away from the conflict, she heard reinforcements coming their way, the sound of hurried footsteps and yells coming from behind them. Before they could arrive however, Ren decided to finish the fight in one go, all by himself.

Deciding that now was as good as a time then never, Ren let the pincer past his defenses, only to dodge it entirely. His body just an inch away from being hit.

Summoning several glass bottles of freeze spray, he threw it at the death stalker. The moment it touched the grimm they exploded. The grimm could only feel the ice form on its body before freezing it entirely, stopping the scorpions rush of attacks.

Luck was truly on his side today.

Quickly summoning his gun, Ren shot at the grimm. A hail of bullets inflicting their mark on the oversized arachnid. Gunfire rang through the air, the frozen body beginning to crack from the barrage. Before it could break free however, Ren jumped in front of its face, his blade in his hand.

At the back of his mind he heard a voice, one that he knew very well.

' _Detest the enemy before you! Change that animosity into power... and unleash it!'_

" _ **Brave Blade."**_ He the blade onto the frozen enemy, the force behind it shattering the grimm entirely. Chunks of ice fell to the ground, the grimm's body within. Black smoke began to rise, melting the ice, before the smoke stopped.

The grimms death confirmed, he let out a breath of relief. Turning around, Ren realized he had an audience. Huntsman and huntresses all stared at him, jaw wide open, while muttering something about him.

"Who's the kid?"

"Did you see that?"

"He took out a death stalker all by himself…"

One by one, the voices of the hunters became louder, filling the streets with their gossip. Letting out an exasperated sigh, Ren shook his head while his head drooped. He could never escape rumors anymore it seemed.

The sound of heels hit his ears, directing his attention to the woman he was just having a nice conversation with. He could only accept what was going to happen, no doubt that he was going to be questioned, or maybe even arrested again.

So much for no more criminal record.

Glynda now stood in front of him, a sharp look in her eyes. Sizing him up as though he was meat at the market. He was about to break eye contact with her, but before he did she decided to speak.

"Do you want to attend Beacon Academy?" She asked. Her eyes watching him like a hawk. It was like the interrogating room all over again. But this time it was with a person who could probably beat the words out of him if he was not careful.

"Let's make a deal then." She continued, surprising Ren even furthermore. Not expecting the woman to make a deal. She seemed intent on making him attend the school, not even speaking with him in private. The audience that had gathered watched the scene with hungry eyes.

He was the center of attention, something he had learned to avoid. If Morgana saw him like this he would have scolded him.

"We will provide you lodging at your stay in Beacon, and a full scholarship should you choose to enter. We will also give you a monthly stipend should you need the income. I know this is sudden, but an answer now would be gratefully appreciated." She said hungrily. The crowd gaping at what the woman had just offered. Even Ren couldn't hide the surprise on his face, the offer being that good.

Closing his eyes, crossing his arms, and calming himself. Ren thought about the proposal and his current situation.

Here he was in another world with a talking cat, nowhere to go, and no leads on the distortions whatsoever. The offer presented to him solved his housing situation, and also came with a stipend which would be a plus, despite being rich from what he could tell. His time would be split between studying and finding leads, but that could easily be managed; he had done the same just a year ago. Not only that but he got a free pass to a prestigious school, one which he wouldn't need to pay should he do things right.

A base of operations, while also allying himself with the side of justice in one fell swoop. This was just too good of an opportunity to pass.

"That offer is quite unfair you know?" Ren sighed, finally opening his eyes to stare at Goodwitch's. "But it's an offer too good to ignore. It's a deal." He finalized, uncrossing his arms, and holding his right hand towards her. Glynda fully understanding the gesture did the same. Shaking each others hands as a way to put the stamp on their agreement.

"Welcome to Beacon Academy, Mr Amamiya." She said, a smile growing on her face.

Ozpin wouldn't mind the sudden applicant she was sure.

After all, he did the same to Miss Rose, right?

This was no different.

* * *

So much happened that week. It was just like getting his record, only this time he was getting a scholarship.

Besides the earful from Morgana ranging from "How could you stand out like that!" to "What if we're found out!" everything was peaceful.

The town's civilians were evacuated, and the girl that was injured was sent straight to the hospital in Vale via airship. Meanwhile, he had been on the ship straight to Beacon.

It was… oddly familiar.

Rumors spread like a wildfire when he had entered the ship. People avoided him, as if they would burn from just being in his presence. Some sneered, others awed, the only way Ren could describe it was that it was a mess just waiting to happen.

When they touched down at Beacon, Ms Goodwitch immediately told him to follow her. The two walked in silence, Morgana in his bag, before taking an elevator to the top of the giant tower, the CCT if he remembered correctly.

And then he met Ozpin, headmaster of Beacon.

A background check, a talk about his future, and a few signings regarding his acceptance into Beacon. He was now a huntsman-in-training, planning to start school the upcoming school term.

Ren had lied regarding his background. Having read about the continent of Mistral and its sheer size, Ren decided to base his origins from over there. Telling the two that he was raised by his parents in a village before being abandoned by them, moving to place to place, and eventually finding himself in the town where he had met Glynda. Not wanting to create anymore plot holes, Ren told them it was a touchy subject, and that he was uncomfortable with his past still. The two staff members nodded in understanding before moving on.

Too easy.

With his business done with the head master, he and Glynda exited the room using the elevator, but not before Ren said his thanks to the man, which the man returned with a smile.

Glynda led him to his room. A bed in the corner, a desk beside it, and a shelf for books to use. The room was almost the same size as his attic back at Leblanc, no, it was actually bigger. Making sure it wasn't a mistake, he questioned Glynda, before she smiled at him.

"Ozpin and I felt that you should have it, with your rough past and all. He was also grateful that you had saved Miss Adel's life. Consider this a reward for your deed." She explained to him.

"This is still too much…" Ren countered, even if this was a reward he had already gotten so much from the school already. It felt… wrong, being given all this without having done anything extravagant. Seeing his deeds as something anyone would have done if they could have.

"Do not worry, teams of four are made during the first few days at the school. This place will be shared with your teammates. Enjoy the room by yourself in the meantime, you'll miss it soon enough." Poking fun at the boy and how humble he was. He truly didn't think his actions were all that great. Barely anyone had the ability to repel a death stalker, with a knife no less, but he seemed to downplay his skills greatly.

Handing him his scroll, she told him that it would be his access key to his room, before leaving Ren to get some rest. When she was gone, Morgana leapt out of the bag, glad to be finally free from it. Exhausted from the lack of sleep, the two clocked out, resting themselves for the next day which they had plans for.

They had seven days to get what they needed before the school year started. That wasn't a lot, but it was better than nothing. The two headed out, doing whatever they could to fill out the time.

The first day had them exploring Beacon, quickly learning the ins and outs, and ups and downs. Ren and Morgana grabbing a bite from the dining hall, before making a quick stop to the library to check out some books. They learned the campus layout in 2 hours, before making their way to the docks to head out to the city.

Immediately when they touched down, Morgana and Ren asked for directions to the dust store. When they reached it, they immediately bought unrefined and refined dust for them to experiment with. Morgana seeming all too eager to put something together.

Next was the weapon shop, where Ren had decided to buy a simple knife the same length as Paradise. He would still use Paradise, but when being watched or fighting in groups, he would opt to the new blade. Destruction would remain his gun however, the reason being it increased his power as a whole.

When all was said and done, Morgana and Ren spent their first day shopping; gathering supplies for themselves. It was already dark when they had returned home, but not too late. They got to work, using the desk given to create some more... interesting stuff with the dust they bought.

Combining the dust with their items and bullets, Morgana and Ren had made a plethora of experimental items to use. Both were eager to try them in combat, especially on the grimm. Those bastards deserved to die after everything they've done.

The next day and the day after were experimentation time. Sneaking off to the Emerald Forest, they used their weapons on the environment and the grimm; their item weapons gaining an area of effect when mixed with dust, while the bullets gave them elemental properties. Ren was quite pleased with the results, but he wished that these were available during their time as Phantom Thieves.

By the time they were done, the forested area they were using was a complete wreck. Trees uprooted, frozen, scorched, and somehow upside down. The grimm they found could only hope to die quickly as they were faced with elemental attacks on a whole other level.

Day four and five were investigation days. The two explored the city once more, but more thoroughly. Splitting up while also in their Phantom Thief uniforms. They had expected to find some kind of lead but…

They came up with nothing. Nothing whatsoever.

Having no choice but to retreat for the day, the two trudged their way home, unhappy that they found nothing but shattered hopes.

The last two days were spent doing idle things. Shopping for new clothes, looking at the sights, even buying equipment to make coffee and curry.

It wasn't that the curry and coffee rejuvenated their minds, that was only a plus, the reason he bought the equipment was because of a simple desire; he loved coffee and curry now.

Sojiro would no doubt be proud of the monster he had created.

The day where the new term started began, and Ren decided to take a stroll around the campus, leaving Morgana to do his own thing. He was about to head back to the room, but he ran into a rather dishevelled Miss Goodwitch

"Mr Amamiya, there will be an opening ceremony for all first years in the amphitheatre. Please come to the cliffside tomorrow at 8 am sharp, there will be an initiation held to determine teams, while also testing your mettle. Do not be late." She tiredly told him, her eyes narrowing at him as though trying to get a rise from him, but he knew that it wasn't that. It was a message underneath formality, one that Ren had been able to catch.

 _Do not disappoint me, or my decision on having you here._

She walked off, no doubt preparing for the work that would follow. Paper work along with planning of classes, Ren knew of the struggles a teacher would have, having helped Sadayo with her own work and having to grade papers every now and then.

Ann would kill him if she figured that out…

Making his way to the amphitheatre, Ren couldn't help but wonder out loud.

"I wonder what kind of people I'll be meeting…"

 **LINE BREAK**

Weiss Schnee was a serious young lady. An individual who strived to be perfect, to be the best hunter around, while also breaking free from her father's clutches.

So when she had exploded due to a sneeze from errant dust, it was suitable to say she was furious. That fury only growing as her family name was slandered, reminding her of why she had come to Beacon in the first place.

With hurried stomps and a vial of the most refined burn dust in her hand, she made her way to the amphitheatre, uncaring for anyone else around her.

Which had caused her to trip on someone's luggage, making her toss the vial into the air. Hitting the ground with a large thud, she stared in abject horror as the vial was thrown out of her hands, it about to crash to the ground beneath. The glass wasn't going to break, but it still didn't mean it was appropriate to have something that valuable crash to the ground.

Before the vial could hit the floor; however, someone had caught it. A young man with unkempt wavy black hair, and glasses. His attire consisting of a black blazer and a white shirt underneath, and a pair of jeans. Weiss could say honestly say that the guy looked rather unremarkable; he looked like an everyday civilian after all.

"Are you okay?" Putting out his free hand to help her, which she took without hesitation. He pulled her up, before handing the vial of dust to her. "This belongs to you right?"

"Thank you. At least someone has some manners…" She said, whispering the last part. The young man before her raised his eyebrow, overhearing the obvious attack on someone the girl met earlier.

"Ren Amamiya. A pleasure." Introducing himself first. Ren raised his hand, expecting the girl to do the same, assuming she was civil enough that is.

"Weiss Schnee. Thank you for earlier." She responded in kind, shaking his hand with hers. Ren's eyes widened a bit, surprised that the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company was attending Beacon. Wouldn't Atlas Academy be a much easier choice?

Nodding at her and ignoring his questions, Ren spoke. "I'm guessing you're a first year like myself. We should head over to the amphitheatre. Don't want to be late and all." He said, a smile on his face before turning and walking to where they were supposed to go. He waved at her, gesturing to follow, which she did.

Enjoying his company, the two made small talk. Weiss talked about dust, while Ren listened and added his own piece every now and then. The heiress was pleased to know that he could hold the subject without dropping it a second later.

When they reached the amphitheatre, Weiss had to leave to find where her personnel left her luggage. "It was nice talking with you. Perhaps we could study together once in a while." She said, showing him a sly smile, all the while walking away.

With renewed vigor, Weiss forgot entirely of the morning that had happened. Her conversation with Ren being enlightening, while also giving her an idea.

If the rumors about having teams were true, then she needed Ren on her team. The guy showed promise and seemed like an outstanding individual. She didn't know of how well he did in combat but she was sure the guy could handle his own. Him being accepted into Beacon should mean he had some combat experience.

Her team would be a perfect place for him, with her as the leader of course.

Glancing around, Weiss needed another individual that caught her eye. A champion on both the battlefield and looks.

 _Where could you have gone, Pyrrha Nikos?_

* * *

Ren hadn't bothered with listening to the speech Ozpin gave. The moment "wasted energy" came out of the headmaster's mouth he knew what would follow.

 _You're all still children, but you'll soon be able warriors should you take the first step._

Ren walked away shortly after, not even bothering to look at the commotion happening inside. No doubt it was Weiss scolding some girl. He had just spoken with her, so her voice was still fresh in his ears.

Heading to where his room was, Ren walked along silently, while also looking at his scroll.

Roman Torchwick had robbed a dust store just about a week ago. The man stealing a rather large amount of dust in the process, but a majority of it had been reclaimed thanks to the police and hunters working together.

Disgusted with the crime, Ren sneered. If he was still a Phantom Thief he would jumped into the metaverse and stole Roman's treasure from underneath his nose.

But he can't.

But if he was going to 'become' a hunter, maybe he would be able to meet the man. Possibly apprehend him should the opportunity be given. It would be a little nice to take down those with corrupted views once more, just in a more legal non-vigilante kind of way.

Just a little.

Turning a corner that led to his room, Ren saw a girl in Beacon's uniform in front of his door, tapping her foot rather quickly, as it left an indent on the ground. She had sunglasses on her face along with wearing a beret on her head.

She turned her head left and right, looking for someone. That 'someone' was him apparently, for the moment she locked eyes on his form she waved at him, beckoning him to come over to her.

Not wanting to keep the lady waiting, Ren walked to her. She was confident, the way she held herself was a dead give away. Other than that, though, Ren wondered why she wanted to meet him, especially since he was sure they had never met before.

"Hey~. You sure know how to keep a lady waiting don't ya?" She good naturedly flirted. Lowering her glasses, she sized him up, inspecting him and his clothes like they were meat at a market. She seemed to approve of his attire though, nodding at him while pushing her sunglasses back up.

"Coco Adel, leader of team CFVY. You probably don't remember but you saved my ass back at that town. Death stalker fiasco and all."

"Ren Amamiya. And I do remember you, just not with the sunglasses and beret. Is there something you need?" Ren said quickly. As much as he wanted to talk with the girl, he really needed to get ready for initiation. Introducing himself and getting straight to the point, Ren stared at the girl expecting and answer.

"Nothing really. Just wanted to say thanks for saving my ass. That death stalker came out of nowhere, crashing into the building and burying me in it. I would have been dead if it weren't for you apparently though, so thanks for that." She said. "If you need a hand or anything let Team CFVY know. It's the least I could do."

Nodding at her offer, Ren gave her a soft smile. "You're welcome. I don't mean to be rude and all but I have initiation tomorrow so…" Gesturing to the entrance to the room, Ren waited for Coco to respond or move, either one would be good.

"Ah sorry. You probably want to get a good night's rest then. Alright, it was nice meeting you. Good luck with your initiation then." Turning around and giving a thumbs up, Coco began to walk away, before stopping and reminding him once more. "Offer still stands~." She said, turning her head around and giving him a wink, just barely visible by the tilt of her glasses.

Sighing, Ren entered his room to the sight of a transformed Morgana working on some infiltration tools, replenishing the supply they had used during their experimentation days.

"That girl was waiting forever… What took you so long?" Morgana said, not even regarding the guy who just entered the room. Too consumed with his work to even look at his leader.

"How long was she waiting for?"

"About an hour… I would've jumped out the window, but I wasn't sure when you'd get back." Morgana told him. Stuck inside the room, while the girl tapped her foot the whole time. _'She was awfully verbal.'_ Morgana thought, trying to forget the swears and curses that girl said while waiting.

It was like Ryuji, but so much scarier.

Women were terrifying.

Chuckling at Morgana, Ren sat on his bed, searching for any news on his scroll regarding anything suspicious. He was about to stop but he saw a video clip, which brought back certain memories.

"This is me at the town…" Ren began. Clicking on the video to zoom it in, he saw himself taking down the grimm, removing masks and decapitating the enemies.

"What?!" Morgana shouted, immediately turning his body to face him. Not believing that Ren had been recorded, Morgana jumped out of the chair and landed beside him, making a plop sound as he landed.

"Masked hero saves civilians lives." Reading the headline out loud, Ren continued through the article, unbelieving what he was reading. "A masked man appeared at the town of Peace, saving the lives of the citizens, while also healing their wounds. Eye witnesses reported that he healed the injured with the help of a cat, and some kind of 'goddess'. There are also reports regarding of a 'little girl' and 'snowman' but…"

Both of them read on, videos of interviews and articles regarding him all over the website. While it was nothing negative about them, it still gave the two a headache. Not because of anything bad, but because they had been recorded.

They were masters of stealth, yet they were caught by a simple camera.

How could they call themselves Phantom Thieves now…

"Let's go to bed. You must be tired." Morgana grumbled, suddenly feeling exhausted himself.

With hearts filled with shame, Ren and Morgana slept. Not knowing what was in store for him, Ren knew only one thing for sure.

He was going to give them a show they've never seen before.

* * *

Morning came, and Ren received a reminder to meet at the Cliffside by Glynda. Cleaning himself up, and preparing himself with what was to come, Ren walked to the locker room. Morgana said he would wait for his return, and would observe on the sidelines. How he would do that was unknown, but knowing the cat he would find a way.

Grabbing the simple knife he had bought, he gave it a few twirls in his hand, getting adjusted to the weight and feel of the weapon. Satisfied, he hid it under his sleeve, a trick he had learned as he practiced with the many blades he had found on his journey.

He was wearing his winter clothes. The black blazer with the black-trimmed cream sweater underneath it, blue jeans and brown shoes as well. It was comfortable and easy to move in, so he thought it was perfect.

He looked absolutely like a civilian.

It _**was**_ perfect.

Walking toward the exit, he noticed Weiss chatting with a girl. A Spartan if he could compare her to anything. She looked uncomfortable, the way Weiss was pushing the conversation obviously the reason why. Being the angelic being he was, he decided to intervene, walking towards the two to subtly stop where the conversation was leading to.

Until a bumbling blond came in and did it for him.

Stopping in his tracks, he watched the guy flirt with Weiss, failing miserably if the heiress's face was anything to go by. He also seemed to pick up the interest of the Spartan, her eyes lighting up as she spoke with him. Smiling at him while he flirted.

Blond had game… somehow…

Deciding now was better than any time, Ren walked to the group. It was better for him to introduce himself now, than at battle. First impressions are important after all.

"It's been a while Weiss, how are you?" He asked politely. Weiss immediately brightened, not having to listen to the blond, while also being able to talk to a person of interest.

"I am well. Ren, you don't happen to need any teammates do you?" She asked, batting her eyelashes at him. Her oh too sweet smile was the complete opposite of what he was feeling right now. The girl was scheming, and he now knew why the Spartan hadn't been too happy with conversing with the Schnee.

She was recruiting. Aiming for people she thought were worth the time of day.

The stare she was giving him was giving him chills.

He needed to change the subject.

Politely smiling at her, Ren gave her the best answer he could give, while subtly changing the subject. "We'll have to see where the chips fall, I doubt the professors would give us free reign to choose... I'm sorry I've never seen you two before. Ren Amamiya, I hope we get along." Redirecting the question to an introduction, Ren cringed as he heard Jaune speak. The guy was absolutely embarrassing himself; it reminded him of Mishima.

Except Mishima knew when to give up.

"Hello! I'm Pyrrha Nikos. I hope we do." She said. Elated that Ren had no idea who she was either.

"Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, rolls of the tongue, ladies love it." Jaune said. Smiling at him, before flirting back at Pyrrha, who seemed to love…it…?

Blond _definitely_ had game. Who would've thought?

Jaune, not seeming to take a hint, leaned towards Weiss. "Sounds like Pyrrha is aboard Team Jaune. Spots are filling up quick, now-"

"Jaune, that's enough. You're making Weiss uncomfortable." Ren interjected, using the voice he would use to issue commands. As much as he enjoyed the comedy unfolding, Weiss' personal space came first, and this guy was pushing his buttons as well.

He liked the guy, but there was a time and place for everything. This wasn't either of those.

"Ah…I-uh well…" Jaune stammered, a look of uncertainty on his face. Ren looked like a normal guy, but he definitely didn't give off that kind of presence. The look he gave him was like a parent reprimanding a child.

He didn't like that look. Not at all.

"I'm sorry, but we should head to the Cliffside. We don't want to be late, now would we?" Ren said, the tone of his voice leaving no room for arguments. The others nodded dumbly at him, clearly surprised by the way he suddenly held himself. It was like a whole new person just appeared.

One by one they walked towards the exit. Weiss going first, Ren following her, and Pyrrha and Jaune side by side. The knight still flirted with the spartan, while she took it all with a smile, a glint in her eyes as she listened to him.

She had found her own teammate it seemed.

Exiting the building, everyone followed the path that led them to the cliff. There awaiting them was Ozpin and Glynda. Ordering everyone to stand on a panel, the hunters-in-training did as they were told, weapons now on hand, ready to fight.

Ren, on the other hand, had his hands in his pockets, waiting for the task to be given them.

' _He looks like a civilian...'_ everyone at the cliff thought. Some of the classmates even giggled, underestimating what he had to offer.

Ren smirked, his plan falling into place.

It was absolutely perfect.

"For years you have trained to become warriors, and today your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest." Ozpin began.

Interjecting, Glynda spoke in Ozpin's behalf. "Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of teams. Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates... **today.** " Finishing her sentence with emphases, the meaning universally understood.

 _There is no room for argument._

Ren swore he heard the personification of little red riding hood whimper.

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon. So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well." Ozpin continued, knowingly causing a certain scythe-wielding girl suffering. "That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years." Ozpin finished. His words cutting through everyone in the area. Mercilessly killing anyone's dreams of planned partners.

Ren could hear glass shattering. It was if someone's world had shattered…

"WHAAAAAAT?!"

Oh, it was little red's world. The girl's face looking absolutely devastated, her hopes crushed like a bug.

He felt kind of bad for her, but he was sure she would pull through.

"After you've partnered-"Ozpin spoke once more, only for Ren to zone him out. The explanations was getting really long, and as much as he wanted to pay attention he knew that most the words coming out of the professors mouth was dramatized hot air.

"Make your way to the northern end of the forest", "Destroy anything in your path", "Relics", "Choose and return to the top of the cliff", and "grade you appropriately" were the key words. Ren's ability to listen for important parts made things much easier.

It was like the words were highlighted or something. How odd.

Ren closed his eyes, summarizing the information given to a simple and easy sentence that Ryuji would understand.

Retrieval and return mission. It made Ren laugh on the inside.

It's the same as getting the treasure.

Ozpin, finished with his explanation, nodded. " **Good.** Now, take your positions."

Everyone prepared themselves, weapons on hand, bracing themselves for what was to happen. Ren, however, just had his hands in his pockets still.

They were going to be launched, into a monster filled forest, without parachutes.

It made Ren smile.

This was going to be fun.

He heard Jaune ask some questions, not preparing himself for what was to come. One by one, students were launched, until it finally reached the bumbling blond.

The scream Jaune made was something he would always remember. It was just that good.

He really needed to help that guy when he had the chance.

Prepping himself for the launch, Ren widened his stance, looking as though he was inside a palace. He glanced to Glynda, who mouthed him 'good luck', while Ozpin gave him a nod, sipping the mug in his hands all the while.

Ren gave them his signature smile, momentarily surprising them as they had never seen the teen look so cocky. Without missing a beat, Ren shouted his infamous word's to them, his body for the action that was to come.

" **It's Showtime!"**

And then he was launched into the forest ahead of him, following after his future classmates. He flew through the air like a bullet, enjoying the wind push past him, and the excited pulsing of his heart. Adrenaline flowed through his body, encouraging him to give it his all.

Ozpin did say to "Destroy anything in your path", didn't he?

Ren would gladly oblige to that. After all…

It was his time to give them a show.

One they would never forget.


	8. Initiation

He soared through the air. The wind on his face, his heart beating like no tomorrow, and a smile painting itself on his face.

It reminded Ren of putting his head through the roof of the van, heading home after his probation was cleared. Happy that everything was over, that his journey had ended.

Except this time, his journey had just begun.

Bracing himself, Ren landed on a tree branch, before jumping to another. Maintaining his momentum while he sped through the forest; weaving, jumping, and dodging the foliage as he made his way to the given destination.

The northern end of the forest, an abandon temple waiting with the relics. It sounded easy enough.

Unless the grimm had anything to say about it.

Landing on the ground, Ren ran as fast as he could, not even bothering to look for a teammate. His only goal being one thing:

Retrieve the treasu- I mean relic.

The goal of the initation was to get a partner, and retrieve the relic, but Ren didn't want one. They would hinder his and Morgana's operations, and also hold them back from doing their own thing. Building tools, using persona's, disappearing to investigate; all of that would make someone suspicious.

He didn't even plan on staying in Remnant. His home was waiting for him, along with all the important people he had to leave behind.

He had to hurry.

With that thought, Ren sped up. His body automatically avoiding the obstacles in front of him.

And that was when a group of beowolves decided to walk in his path. Unknowingly throwing their lives away.

His blade slid down from within his sleeve onto his hand, his body moving at speeds unimaginable to a normal human being, all the while silent. He past the grimm, not even being noticed by them. Pausing, as he waited for his attack to take effect.

One by one, they fell, a single slash splitting their bodies. Horizontal, vertical, diagonal… each one of them had a slash through their bodies; all different than before.

They didn't even know they died. They just fell to the ground, their bodies not responding to the pain, before disappearing into nothing.

Smirking at his handiwork, Ren continued to the ruins, not hindered by the environment whatsoever. Agile and graceful, he was a dancer, the initiation being the stage.

But before he could make it any further a pair of Ursa leapt out from the foliage, attempting to land a sneak attack.

Stopping, he stared at the two, before smiling.

His blade once again in his hand, he charged, ready to make a fool out of the two bears.

He only hoped that the professors were watching his performance.

It was just for them after all.

* * *

Glynda was pleased that her judgement on Ren's admission was not without merit. The young man clearly capable of taking the initiation head on, confident in his own abilities, if that damn smile on his face said anything about it.

She was not expecting the boy to be a show-off; he seemed far too reserved to have that kind of trait.

Looking at the camera's focused on the other students, she couldn't help but feel perturbed by the way that Jaune fellow handled himself. No doubt the boy's transcript was a lie, and that he had no combat experience whatsoever, but Ozpin still let him in Beacon Academy.

She sometimes thought Ozpin was mad at times. Why would you admit a civilian into the school, a place where you were taught to be hunters, learning how to slay grimm and…

Did Ozpin plan on making the boy a hunter, simply because he saw potential?

That didn't sit well with her at all. There were many more applicants on their waiting list. _Experienced_ applicants. This boy was not one of them, not at all.

Sighing, she turned off her scroll, and began to walk back to Beacon. She was going to head straight to her office when a thought crossed her mind.

Turning around, she looked back at Ozpin, his face focused on his scroll. "What did you use for relics this year?" she said, only to be answered by silence. "Professor Ozpin?"

Turning on her scroll to see what had garnered his interest, her eyes widened at what she saw, surprised that such a grimm had hiding inside the forest all this time.

Said grimm was initiating combat with Mr Amamiya, the two brawling it out by the looks of it.

She was about to walk back to where Ozpin was, to ask him on his opinion of the situation, but was interrupted by the sound of a cat.

A cat?

Looking down, she was greeted with a cat rubbing itself against her legs, pleading for her attention, meowing at her, as if asking for some love.

A black cat with bright blue eyes, it's tail tip, paws, and muzzle a white color, and a yellow color to finish his look.

He was absolutely adorable.

She was about to reach down and pick the feline up, but it decided to act first, jumping onto of her shoulder to look at her scroll.

Not bothered by the weight, she let him stay there. The feline watching her screen with a critical eye, its focus on Ren Amamiya.

Ozpin, observing all the teams, had his attention split between Ruby Rose and Ren Amamiya. The two were individuals that were accepted last minute into Beacon, both gaining admission to school by the heads of the school. Interested, Ozpin zoomed in on the camera on Ren, watching the boy with a critical eye.

'Let's see what you're made of, Mr Amamiya.'

* * *

After his encounter with the grimm, Ren made good progress to the ruins, his third eye showing him that just beyond the clearing there were glowing objects in the distance.

Those were the relics. They had to be.

He was about to dart off towards it, but a loud roar shook the forest around him, stopping him entirely. His body going into high alert, he widened his senses, waiting for whatever it was to show itself.

And then it crashed to the ground behind him, it's arms ready to slam him to the earth.

As if.

Rolling out of the way of the surprise attack and orienting his body to face his opponent, he was met with what was the grimm variant of a gorilla. It was twice his height and was covered in bone plates, scars of battle all over it. Its skin was black as day, but there was a red glow underneath it, pulsing every time it took a breath.

It was a Beringel, a stronger type of grimm; extremely aggressive.

Just the way he liked it.

Preparing for it to strike, Ren brought his knife to his hand, while taking a wider stance. The two of them stood still, sizing the other up, waiting for the other to move.

And then the Beringel leaped. Its hands clasped together as it brought it down to him, letting out a war cry as it did the action.

It was so fast.

Yet not fast enough.

Nimble on his feet, Ren dodged to the left of the beast, before slashing at its arm. The knife didn't cut however, the hide of the beast too thick for it to penetrate.

' _No wonder people had a problem with this thing, it's moving tank.'_ He thought, making a mental note of this for future confrontations.

Narrowing his eyes, Ren backed off, jumping away from it. The ape capitalized on this however, leaping at him once more when he was still in the air, its arm ready to deliver a haymaker at him.

Not expecting this kind of agility, Ren put his arms up, ready to take the critical blow. When the punch landed, he was knocked back, the force behind it so strong that it made him crash through several trees

' _It's like a freaking boulder!'_ Ren thought, thankful that a certain sword wielding persona had been equipped at the forefront of his mind during the last second, blocking the pain of the attack. Had it not, he would've been a pancake, probably in critical condition.

' _Time to get serious.'_

" _ **Charge."**_ He said, an orange light enveloping his body, before being absorbed. His body glowed, the power radiating from him causing the air to warp.

Understanding what he was about to do, the Beringel charged at him, intending to end the battle in one go, its arm ready to deliver another deadly haymaker.

Roaring, the ape threw the punch, crashing the fist at Ren like a rocket. The ground shattered beneath the impact, shaking the area around them. Birds flew out of the tree's, the ground quaked, and the sound of a giant crash reverberated through the forest. The power behind its punch was no joke.

Looking at it's masterpiece, the Beringel expected a flattened human on the ground, their bloody remains exploded in front of it.

All it got was a bored looking Ren staring at it, holding up his fist with an open palm. A yawn escaping the boy's mouth.

What?

Pulling its fist back, the grimm sent a volley of punches at him, the force of the punches distorting the air.

Only for Ren to dodge left and right, in and between. His movements quick, yet elegant, as if dancing to the beat of a drum.

The grimm roared, furious that the human before it wasn't dead. It grew desperate, throwing it's punches more wildly than before, creating more openings in its form.

Suddenly, Ren shot forth, avoiding the punches altogether. Standing in front of the grimm, he extended his arm out, putting his blade in between the bone chest plates of the enemy. His knife gently touching the skin in between.

" _ **Hassou Tobi!"**_ Ren shouted, his knife glowing a dangerous black with a red outline. He pushed the blade into its body, piercing the chest of the beast before him.

His blade now ready, he launched it upwards, opening the grimm up as it screamed. Not done with the assault, Ren continued the action in different directions, carving wounds into the grimm as it cried out in pain.

What was once a proud Beringel now had seven slashes stained its chest, exposing the red flesh beneath. The beast's arms hanged limply at its side, while the its mouth was wide open, drool coming out of it due to the searing pain spreading through out his body.

It fell on its knees, unable to control them any longer. It was not dead however, its will to live so strong that it started to shake, its arms trying to move despite the pain. Its eyes locked onto its assailant, cursing him for the humiliation and suffering he had caused.

"See ya." It heard, before the eight slash was delivered, separating its head from its body. Ren watched it disappear into nothingness, before putting away his blade.

Done with his work, Ren looked up to a tree, knowing what was installed inside it. His third eye noticing the camera embedded within it. No doubt surveillance to 'grade' those passing by.

Waving at the camera, he gave it one last smile and a wink, before heading to the temple, his body blurring at the speed which he took off.

Hearing the roar of a death stalker, and the sight of a giant bird firing its feathers, Ren ran faster, hoping he would make it in time.

It looks like someone needed some help.

It would be rude to keep them waiting.

* * *

Glynda and Ozpin gawked at the camera feed, surprised by what had just happened. Not knowing how to feel towards the young man.

The cat just seemed to laugh. "Mwehehehehe" it seemed to say/meow.

"It seems Mr. Amamiya is much more than he seems to be…" Ozpin said, observing the man with a more interest than before. Impressed that the boy had been able to deal with a Beringel, blocking its punches, as well as tearing through it.

' _That orange light must have been some kind of power up. Perhaps his semblance?'_ Ozpin thought. A Beringel's body was thick and durable, no mere knife could penetrate its body unless there was a great force behind it. Ren Amamiya stabbed it at point blank, a feat that shouldn't have been possible.

If only he knew.

Glynda smiled, once again impressed with Mr Amamiya's abilities. She had worried when he took the blow, but when pushed come to shove he was able to deal with the situation accordingly.

The choked noise Ozpin made when he saw Ren block the attack was also a plus.

Hearing the sound of purring, Glynda noticed the cat seemed content, as if happy that Ren had defeated the enemy.

Could it possibly be his?

Deciding to ask the boy about it later, Glynda turned off her scroll, much to the ire of the cat, and started heading to the amphitheatre. Using her telekinesis, she picked up the cat and put it into her arms, cradling the protesting creature.

"MEOW!" It screamed, shocked by what she just did. Paying no mind to the surprise however, Glynda began to pet it.

The purr that left its mouth was almost made her squeal. The pleased look on the animal was to die for.

Glynda loved cats. It was just in her nature.

Had nothing to do with "witch" in her name.

Ozpin, noticing his colleagues leave, decided to follow her, while also looking at his scroll, observing the situation.

Mr. Amamiya was now on his way to the relics, while Ruby Rose and her companions ran from the giant grimm chasing them.

Deciding to leave it to destiny, he turned off his scroll. Not worrying about them any longer, he followed Goodwitch, sipping his coffee all the while.

"That's some good coffee…" Ozpin whispered, happy that his drink was waking him up, while also great tasting too.

Following Goodwitch, he began thinking of teams. So far there were only 6 pairs who have gotten their relics, 12 people in total. And if Ren obtained one then that would lead to 13.

Should no one else pass the initiation, there would be an odd person out. That would not do, for building relations with other youths was a part of learning in Beacon. It would do be good to isolate an individual.

Thinking of a solution, Ozpin thought long and hard, before a thought crossed his mind.

Perhaps… yes, that could work.

Satisfied with the answer, Ozpin made his way to the amphitheatre, a single thought on his mind

' _This year's first-year batch will be something to look out for.'_

Taking a sip of his coffee, it surprised him that it no longer existed, having been finished far too quickly.

Frowning, Ozpin looked at Glynda who had made some distance between him, too busy petting the cat to actually notice him.

Taking that into consideration, he snuck off, aiming to get another Cup of Joe.

It would only be a moment.

He wouldn't be late for the ceremony, he was sure.

Oh how wrong he was.

* * *

Quickly making his way to the ruins, Ren saw the relics; white and black chess pieces. Remembering to pick one, he stared at the pieces, wondering which one seemed the most appropriate.

Pawns, Bishops, Knights, Rooks, Queen, or King. All of them had meaning, all of them had a purpose.

Staring at the pieces, Ren walked up to one of them; one that reminded him of his journey.

Picking up the black pawn, Ren couldn't help but remember the journey had gone through last year. The trials he had to endure.

The arrest…

The shadows…

Now…

All of it was orchestrated by a genocidal god, one who wished to place "ruin" onto humanity, using him as a way to decide. Even when gone, it still had a hold on him.

He was the pawn of that being, a mere toy to be played with.

Or maybe he was just a pawn to fate itself.

Chuckling weakly, Ren stored the piece with all his equipment, while walking away from the ruins.

Pawn or not, he would win this game, he would see it to the end.

Perhaps he could change into a better piece, something better.

Or maybe he already has…

With those thoughts in mind, Ren shot forward to where he saw other students running towards; the cliffside.

That was until he heard the growls and roars behind him.

Stopping and turning his head around, Ren was faced with a familiar sight; grimm. A lot of them.

As much as he loved those freaks of destruction now wasn't the time

Sending them a dirty glare, only for it to be returned to him. Ren sighed

It's like they wanted to be killed.

Not caring to hold back, Ren let his persona manifest, blue blames circling around the both of them. Hoping that the teachers wouldn't see his true abilities, he let loose, going all out against the small fry.

" **Lucifer.** _ **Morning star.**_ **"**

A ray of light shot forth from the sky, crashing onto the ground creating a dome of pure energy destroying everything in it's wake. The cataclysmic power was unleashed on the grimm, so powerful was the spell that it destroyed everything it touched, leaving nothing to its mercy.

When all was said and done, a large crater was formed, leaving a barren hole on the ground where the grimm once stood.

Ren ran, not even looking at his handwork, his destination being where the other students were. Hoping he wasn't too late.

When he arrived to where they were fighting, he was given quite the show.

It made him whistle in appreciation.

Little Red Riding hood was running along the cliffside, glyphs keeping her in place. Her scythe was holding the nevermore in a choke hold, forcibly dragging the bird with her. With one final push, the girl reached the end, beheading the grimm as she landed at the top of the cliff. Rose petals flying everywhere.

"Nice…" He said. Impressed by the girl's strength, and her proficiency with the weapon.

He was worrying for nothing it seemed.

Looking up at the site of the scythe wielding teen, Ren couldn't help but think one thing.

' _This is going to be one hell of an adventure.'_

 **LINE BREAK**

Ren watched the individuals walk up to the stage, making sure to remember their names.

Team CRDL, led by Carden Winchester. He only had one thought in his head when he saw the group.

"Bullies..." He said out loud. Knowing an asshole when he saw them, he made sure to watch them, and promised to himself to do something about them if they try anything.

His inner vigilante was just screaming to do something after all.

Team JNPR, led by Jaune Arc. It was a surprise, but it wasn't a bad one. Looking at the new leader, he couldn't help but notice the uncertainty in Jaune's eyes.

And then he was pushed to the ground by Pyrrha, causing the crowd to laugh at him.

Yeah, the guy really reminded him of Mishima now. He really needed to help the dude, it was just too much to look at.

And then team RWBY, led by Ruby Rose. Watching the red hooded girl be hugged by the blonde, he couldn't help but notice the surprise that showed up on Weiss' face when Ruby was declared leader.

He just hoped she wouldn't fuss over it. The girl's plan at the locker room foiled by a simple initiation.

"Ren Amamiya. Please come to the stage." Glynda called. For some reason she was doing the ceremony, with Ozpin being nowhere to be seen.

Where was he?

Ignoring the thought, Ren walked up to the arena with his hands in his pockets. He gave the professor an amused look, questioning her silently.

 _Where's Ozpin?_

Receiving the silent message, Glynda sighed, exasperation filling her being. She was about to speak, but a certain headmaster decided to make his appearance, taking over the ceremony.

"Ren Amamiya. You have retrieved the black pawn piece. Normally, we would assign you a team; however, due to an odd amount of people passing the initiation, not to mention not finding a partner, you are unfortunately by yourself. We, the staff of Beacon, have decided to put you as a joint member; you will be joining the other teams during their missions. As such, we strongly advise you get to know your future teammates." Ozpin said, walking up to the stage while drinking a cup of coffee.

By the smell of it, _fresh coffee_.

' _So that's where he went…'_ Ren thought, a look of understanding crossing his face.

Coffee was an important part of the day, no matter what time.

"May I ask what kind of blend that is, Professor Ozpin?" Ren said, his glasses shining as he pushed them upwards. No matter the time or place, coffee was always an important subject, and because he didn't know the types there were in Remnant it was essential for him to learn about them.

Sure, he could use a scroll, but tasting/smelling the blend was the experience, one that he needed.

Ozpin smiled at him, a glint in his eyes as he responded to the young man's question. "This is Mistral Mountain. It is quite the blend. Strong, yet savoury. I find it best when-".

"If you two are going to talk about coffee then get off the stage!" Glynda yelled, her fury directed more at the headmaster than Ren.

Not wanting to face the scary woman, Ren retreated, walking off the stage as he took his place between team JNPR and RWBY. Glancing between the two teams, he closed his eyes, a polite smile on his face.

"Ren Amamiya. I hope we get along." He introduced, all the while watching an angry Goodwitch berate a passive Ozpin. The man not even fazed as he took sips of his coffee, a pleased look on his face.

' _That's one hell of a blend.'_ Ren thought, hoping that he would get the chance to try it should he get the chance.

"OOH~. YOU HAVE THE SAME NAME AS REN! Not you Ren, but that Ren. OH, you too could be best friends! Wait I'm his best friend." The huntress-in-training named Nora gasped. She was absolutely excited, her body moving at speeds Ren couldn't even comprehend.

"Nora… you're freaking out-" Lie Ren began, only to be cut off by his exuberant childhood friend.

"NO! You can't have him! I won't let you; I'll break your legs!" She threatened, her hammer now in hands and she stalked over to the Phantom Thieves leader.

"I'm sorry, I don't swing that way." Ren said, putting his hands up in a placating manner. Not wanting to have his legs broken, he gave her the first thing that came out of his head. Internally cursing his slip up, he was about to apologize when-

She grabbed his arms, her face only inches away from hers. She glared at him, giving him one of the most intense stare downs he had ever been in. Looking past his eyes, and into his soul.

It was official; this girl freaked him out.

Gasping, she let go, jumping away from his body, and returning to the side of her partner.

"Oh that's a relief. I thought I'd have to break your legs for a second. Oh, I know… I can call you Ren-Ren, while I call _my_ Ren… well, Ren!" She said, her hands now clasped as she gave him a gigawatt smile. Happy to have found a solution to the naming crisis.

Lie sighed, knowing that Nora freaked out her target. "I'm sorry. She's a bit-"

"Hyperactive?" The now dubbed Ren-Ren finished, an amused smile on his face. "It's okay. I'm just glad my legs aren't broken." Ren-Ren joked, smiling as he conversed with the green garbed ninja.

Thankful that he was understanding, Lie turned back to his childhood friend, conversing with her, as she calmed down.

Turning his body to face team RWBY, he was met with an amused black bowed girl, and a smiling blonde. No doubt the pair were entertained by that little scene.

"Yang Xiao Long." Yang introduced, waving at him with her left hand, while her other position itself on her hip.

"Blake Belladonna." Blake said, before turning her head around to listen to the rest of the ceremony.

'Social, aren't you?' He thought sarcastically. He was about to turn his head, but he saw her bow twitch. Intrigued by this, he activated third eye, seeing underneath what was hidden. His eyes widening only slight at what he saw.

A pair of black ears, \ concealed by the black bow she wore.

'She probably wants to keep it a secret then.' He thought, keeping the new-found discovery to himself. It was not his business, and she probably wanted to keep it a secret to avoid scrutiny due to her heritage. He would respect her privacy, despit already breaching it.

"Please head to your rooms. Again, congratulations for passing the initiation." Ozpin said, getting back to his duties. People filed out of the building, while Ren waited for everyone to go. He was about to head to his room but was stopped by the voice of Goodwitch.

"Mr. Amamiya. Could this possibly be yours?" Glynda said, his back still facing towards her.

Turning around, Ren was greeted to an odd sight. It was Morgana, cradled in the arms of Goodwitch, who was petting his belly. The cat let out purrs of happiness, his eyes closed as he enjoyed the feeling of being petted.

"Morgana… what are you doing?" Ren asked, baffled by the sight. Here was the all too proud Morgana, purring, putty at the hands of his teacher.

Pulling out his scroll, he took a picture. ' _Blackmail~.'_ Ren thought, making sure to use it against the cat when he needed some leverage.

The sound of a camera shutter woke Morgana out of his stupor. Confused, he looked around, but was not fast enough to notice that Ren had put the scroll away.

"Wha? Where am I?" Morgana said, his ears perking up as his head turned, having no idea what was happening.

Leaping off of Goodwitch's arms, he walked towards Ren, before talking to him.

"I was watching you at the cliffside. Glynda and Ozpin were using camera's set up and were watching via scroll, so I thought to join them. She caught me though and took me back here." Morgana explained. He told Ren he was going to watch, so he did. It wasn't like Ozpin or Glynda could understand him anyways, they haven't heard or seen him in his true form yet.

"Mr Amamiya… can I assume he is yours then?" Glynda asked once more, her eyes narrowing at the boy for not answer her question.

"Yes, he is. Is it not allowed?" Ren said. Wondering if he would have to hide Morgana during his time at Beacon.

Morgana could handle it no problem, but it would be a pain in the ass to deal with.

"It is not. But please try to keep him in check." Glynda said, not bothered by the fact the animal had been here. They were what kept hunters and huntresses' company during their time of need, as such Beacon didn't mind having animals, so long as they were properly taken care of.

"I will." Glad to know this wouldn't get him into any trouble, Ren sighed internally. Nervousness fading away at the thought of having to keep Morgana hidden all the time. It was doable but stressing nonetheless.

"With that said, please get some rest. You deserve it. Again, congratulations on passing initiation." Glynda said, walking away from the boy to leave him to his thoughts.

Until he asked her something.

"Did you happen to see me pick my piece, or the horde of grimm that I encountered?" Ren asked, referring to summoning **Lucifer** , and using his signature move on the grimm. As much as he wanted to leave it, he needed to make sure that if anyone saw that they kept it a secret.

"No, I have not... Was it you that caused the crater at the temple?" Glynda asked, her eyes widening at the revelation. All the camera's had short circuited near the ruins, none of them surviving for some odd reason. When sent to investigate, Peter had reported "A giant crater" the size of a herd of Goliaths.

"I was using experimental dust, the effect being much larger than expected. I could show you if you're curious...?" Ren said, lying to the Professor as best as he could. Not expecting that no one had saw the deadly attack, he could assume that the almighty skill destroyed the camera's. It's sheer power making them malfunction.

"If that 'experimental dust' truly is that strong, I highly advise you show us. It could prove quite useful in the future." Glynda said, her glasses shining, as if Christmas had come early.

"Sure. Anytime. Anyways I need to go to bed, classes do start tomorrow after all. Good day." Ren said abruptly, not believing his bluff actually worked. Not wanting to make anymore plot holes, he booked it to his room, hoping he didn't look nervous as he walked away from the professor.

"You know, you did a pretty good job out there, with that big gorilla and all." Morgana said, pride radiating from his small body.

"I should say the same to you, Mister Lady Killer." Ren jested. Amused by Morgana's purring. Never had he seen him do so, his pride always making it hard to even touch the cat.

Futaba and Ryuji would laugh their asses of if they saw, Haru would probably try her best to make him purr.

The thought brought a smile to his face.

"Let's head to bed. You got a long day ahead of you." Morgana said, fully accepting the title Ren gave him.

He was just that good after all.

Falling asleep, the two dreamt of the days to come, guessing what this world had in store for them.

Never did they notice the blue butterfly that floated in the room, nor will they ever see it disappear from their eyes, two voices speaking as it did so.

"Found you Inmate!"


	9. First Day of School

When Ren woke up, he was expecting to wake up in peace.

He was not expecting to be thrown off his bed, landing on the floor face first.

Groaning, the young man couldn't help but wonder what he had done to receive such a punishment. He was about to yell at whoever did it but was silenced by two familiar voices , ones he thought he would not hear any time soon.

"Wake up, Inmate!" the aggressive one shouted.

"This is no time to be sleeping, Inmate." The reserved reprimanded.

Clumsily getting off the ground, Ren turned to face the voices, perplexed by their sudden appearance.

"Justine! Caroline!" he shouted, not believing the two were there in front of him. "How did you get here?!"

"You got some nerve, Inmate! Disappearing into that distortion like that. Do you know how long it took to find you?!" Caroline exclaimed, her foot stomping onto the ground as she tried to express her frustrations.

"What Caroline meant was that she was glad to see you, and that we are so glad to see you are safe." Justine said, a smile adorning her face. The girl was clearly trying to embarrass her sister, or her other self…

It was confusing.

Caroline; however, didn't take it so nicely. Instead of crying out in embarrassment, she instead glared at her twin, clearly unamused by her sisters attempt to get a rise out of her.

"Oh yeah? Well I'm not the one that cried when the distortion disappeared!" She smugly said, her counter attack flawless.

"Wha?!"

"Did I mention she was so adamant on finding you that she hadn't slept for a few days? Oops. My bad." Caroline added, shrugging her shoulders as she smirked harder than before.

Payback was a wonderful thing sometimes.

Ren sighed, watching the two bicker over who was more scared for him. As much as he was entertained, he was still tired.

He had classes in 4 hours, not to mention he was still felt exhausted from the initiation yesterday.

He needed some rest, god damnit.

His saviour appeared in the form of a cat. Morgana was sitting on the desk, clearly awake before he was. The cat was licking his paws, sitting flat on his ass like a human, clearly enjoying the drama that was happening.

"So how did you find us?" Morgana asked. Standing up on all fours, he gave them a questioning look, his mouth turning to a frown as he did so.

"He used _**Morning Star**_ yesterday. We just happened to see it. After that, finding you was a piece of cake." Caroline and Justine said simultaneously. Having forgotten their battle with one another, the twin wardens looked at the cat, giving him their full attention as they answered.

"Couldn't you have just found him through the Velvet Room? You know, in between dream and reality, and all that jazz?" Morgana asked, his eyebrow raised. Finding them shouldn't be a problem, not when Ren was still a wild card. The Velvet Room was a special place for them after all, so it should've been easy for them to just go into his dream.

They did it all the time before, so why didn't they do it now?

The two blinked once, and then again.

Their faces erupted red at their incompetence.

"I-It's wasn't that simple! We knew that, w-we just wanted to make it a challenge for us. Y-Yeah that's it! Tell them Justine!" Caroline stammered, her face flushing as she gave out excuses.

"How embarrassing…" Justine said, her face becoming redder than Caroline's.

"Did the two of you walk out of the Velvet Room to try and find us?" Ren asked, shocked that the twins would do such a crazy thing. He already knew the answer though; the twins looked horrible.

Their usual uniforms were torn up, the clothes covered in dirt and dust. Their hairstyles were dishevelled, sticking out from place to place.. Bags formed beneath their eyes, signifying they hadn't had a good rest, or any at all.

"We thought it was imperative that we find you. We opened the door to where you first appeared in this world, if the mess you made was anything to go by. 'Lavenza' split into two, us, in order to cover more ground. We searched for you day and night, without rest…" Justine said, her voice getting weaker as she went on, trailing off at the last bit. Her eyes drooped, and her body staggered, before falling face first to the floor.

Caroline followed shortly after, being more dramatic than her sister. Her legs carried her, swaying her back and forth, before falling on top her sister, snoring as soon as she landed.

It was just like when he had defeated the two during their private examination.

"They're not injured in anyway, just really tired." Morgana said, not all that worried for the two. Just to make sure though, he jumped off the desk and checked their bodies, before nodding to Ren, confirming no injuries were on their bodies.

"Let's get them changed. Their clothes _really_ need a wash." Morgana said, his nose cringing. The cat had tears in his eyes, no doubt from the smell.

They would need a bath later too.

Picking the two up, Ren changed them out of their clothes, and gave them the largest shirts he had. Their small bodies completely covered by his clothes, he put them on his bed, and tucked them in. When all was said and done, it was now six in the morning.

3 hours before class begun…

Sighing, Ren turned to look at the twins once more, before heading to the washroom to prepare for the day. As early as it was, it was better to get sooner than later.

"I'll be leaving now. Watch over the two, will you? Make sure to take care of them." Ren said, before opening the door and exiting the room.

He could hear that condescending response from the outside, the cat smiling, no doubt.

"I took care of you, didn't I? Leave it to me, Joker."

Not wanting to feed his ego anymore, Ren walked off, a goal in his mind.

If he remembered correctly, the student lounge wasn't too far off…

He could go for a cup right now. Curry sounded pretty good too.

With a spring in his step, he headed to the lounge, humming along the way.

Coffee and curry in the morning, at the first day of school?

Sojiro would be proud.

* * *

When Glynda woke up, she immediately prepared for the day ahead. Classes would start, and as such her duties would begin. Supervising the school grounds, making sure all the paperwork was done, and teaching students in her classes. It was a long day ahead of her.

Heading to the staff kitchen to get something to eat by the chefs, she met up with the others: Bartholomew Oobleck, Peter Port, and Professor Peach. Bartholomew taught history, Peter taught grimm studies, and Peach taught biology.

Looking at the woman, she couldn't help but wonder why the students never seemed to recall her. She stood at 5'8", wore a peach lab coat all the time, and had peach hair. _Bright_ _Peach hair._

She looked like a highlighter. How no one notices her was beyond normal comprehension.

Abandoning those thoughts, Glyna and co. talked about what they were planning to teach today. Port had brought a boarbatusk into the school… again.

"Peter, you didn't give me any paperwork regarding that." Glynda stated, her eyes narrowing at the man to a dangerous degree.

"Ah I have forgotten. Please pardon my mistake, Glynda." Peter said, puffing his chest out. The man looked composed, but Glynda saw the sweat going down his forehead, the fear in the slits he called eyes.

"I'll let it slide... **today**." She said, her message screaming at the man to never do it again.

She was essentially second in charge, and as such it was her job to manage the teachers every now and then. Beacon's classes were taught by the Professors in charge of the subjects, which meant they were free to teach how they wanted, but that didn't mean they could avoid policies.

Not if she had anything to do with it anyways.

Easing up on the glare, she tried to relax herself. It was only seven in the morning, yet she had somehow gotten stressed to the point she was feeling tired.

It was going to be a long day.

"Do you smell that?" Peach said, her nose picking up on a wonderful scent that filled the hall they were walking in.

"Indeed. Is that coffee?" Oobleck interjected, already excited with the prospect of having caffeine in his system. The man could hardly stay still, and it wasn't because of a semblance.

His blood was switched with caffeine. At least, that was the theory behind it.

"It's coming from the student lounge…" Port said, his moustache twitching in delight.

The staff kitchen was only a hall away from the student lounge, both being just a building away from the dining hall. Students were allowed to cook so long as it was tame and were allowed to relax there so long as they didn't stir up a ruckus.

However, students didn't usually occupy it, too busy either goofing off, or doing something else. The student lounge was hardly used, especially at this time of day.

Curious, Glynda walked to the open entrance, silently stepping into the room.

She was greeted with a sight she wasn't expecting.

Inside the room was Ren Amamiya, in his school uniform, wearing a green apron. On the stove provided were two pots, and on the counter top he was making coffee, if the smell was anything to go by.

"Mr. Amamiya?" Glynda said, unsure of the sight before her. She would say that it was a good thing to up this early in the morning, but when he just had initiation just yesterday she expected the boy to sleep in.

"Ms. Goodwitch… and company." Ren said, watching the others, which he could assume were teachers, enter the room.

"Doctor Oobleck. _Doctor._ "

"Professor Port, but please, just call me Peter."

"Professor Peach."

Each of the teachers introduced themselves to the young man, interested in the rumored person Ms. Goodwitch herself had accepted into Beacon.

Until their stomachs all decided to roar, then and there.

Chuckling at what the sounds, Ren pointed to the pots on the stove, and the cupboard.

"Would you all like something to eat?" He said, amused by their little slip up.

Like a master, Ren quickly grabbed the plates, quickly opening the pots revealing their contents to the world. One by one he put a small, yet plentiful amount of rice and curry on the plates. Handing the plates over to the professors, he watched their eyes glisten and mouths drool at the meal presented to them, something which gave him pride.

"Would you like some coffee to go with that?" Ren hospitably asked, wondering if the teachers needed a quick pick me up.

"WOULD I!" Bartholomew shouted, happiness exuding from his body. From what he could tell, the young man had made a fine cup of coffee, something he wished to try.

It smelled delightful, more so than the food.

The teachers took their seats on the furniture of the room. Placing their meals on the table, Ren showed up with the coffee, a wonderful smell wafting through the air.

"Enjoy." Ren said, before going off to the stove to grab his own portion for breakfast.

Glynda was the first to take a bite, savouring the taste of the handmade food. It was spicy, but sweet enough that the two flavours blend; it made her want more. Without even realizing it, she had finished her portion, her colleagues in the same boat as her.

Taking a sip of her drink, she was surprised that coffee could be this well made. She was usually a tea person, but this was something she could get used to.

How dangerous.

"My, this is wonderful!" Peach exclaimed. She had not had a meal this well made in a long time, the kitchen staff having nothing on this.

"Indeed." Peter agreed. The meal having stolen his vocabulary.

Glynda couldn't help but feel the same way.

Turning her attention to Bartholomew, Glynda couldn't help but feel worried for the man; he had stayed silent the entire time and his body had stopped moving. Not only that but the glare in his glasses made it so that no one could see his eyes, his face completely blank.

"Bart?" Peter asked, nudging the shoulder of his colleague. Despite the movement, Oobleck stood still, something that she had not seen him do in… well, forever.

"I have tasted many blends of coffee, but this… I… I…" The doctor said, faltering at the end of his sentence. Glynda and company couldn't help but watch the man, wondering what in Monty had happened to him.

"I've been awakened." The once hyperactive doctor said, tears flowing down his face as he stared at the cup of nirvana before him.

It was bliss given form; caffeinated form.

He couldn't help but cry a bit.

Glynda sighed, her worry for the professor disappearing. Holding the bridge of her nose, she couldn't help but groan at his overdramatic response. The man was caffeine crazy but seeing him freak out over a good cup was just ridiculous by normal means.

Then again, all experienced hunters were crazy in some way. Especially the strong ones.

She just hoped Ren would remain normal after all of this.

"Thank you for the breakfast, Mr. Amamiya. It was quite enjoyable." She said, all the while using her semblance to pick up the finished dishes, before putting them in the sink.

Telekinesis was a wonderful thing.

"It was no problem. I was expecting more students to use the facilities, but no one showed up. I'm glad you happened to stop by. I would have had too much food left." Ren said, putting his dishes in the sink, before beginning to wash them. Forgetting that the pots on the stove still had some food in them.

"It's good to see a hunter-in-training like yourself knowing how to cook his own food. Most of the students just get their grub at the dining hall." Peach said, her arms laying themselves at the top of couch, just behind Glynda and Bartholomew.

"I was taught well." Ren said. His hands busy with the dishes. "By the way, if you have something to store the coffee, I wouldn't mind you taking some for yourselves." Ren told the teachers, generously giving out his makings to them.

How kind.

"I will take up that offer then." Bartholomew said, walking towards the remaining pot. Pulling out his thermos, he poured the contents inside, before taking his seat back on the coach. Sipping at his drink, he let out a sigh, enjoying the beverage that was given.

The teachers sat on the furniture, conversing one another in a more relaxed manner, the food no doubt alleviating their stress and worries.

They all couldn't help but think of one thing.

' _Today was going to be a good day.'_

* * *

Once Ren was done, he ended up conversing with the professors for a bit, talking about classes and their structures, along with asking a few questions on his own. He was about to leave but he had remembered something.

"Miss Goodwitch. I offered to show you that experimental dust I used at initiation. Here you go." Ren said, handing over a small vial of shock dust to her. Unlike normal refined dust however, this was moving. The dust swirled inside the vial, small streaks of electricity forming occasionally. It looked as if the contents were _alive._

This was the infiltration tool, 'stun gun', mixed with dust that was refined by his hands.

It was work like no other. Only he and Morgana could replicate such a thing.

"I've never seen dust like this before…" Oobleck said, his face mere inches from the bottle. He was about to say something, but was, quite literally, shocked when he felt the dust pulse.

It didn't hurt him, but it did surprise him.

"It's dust I bought at a regular store but mixed in with some of my own components." Ren said, adjusting his glasses as they shined, hiding his eyes from view.

"It seems quite potent… Is it even safe to handle?" Peach said, adding her own thoughts to the matter.

"That crater was made by you, Mr. Amamiya? And the dust was the cause?" Port said, his already closed eyes narrowing at the small vial before him. Even if the contents inside were something new, that didn't seem to explain why there was _nothing_ left.

Call him a skeptic, but he had his doubts.

"I used other variations with it. What Glynda is holding is just one of many types I had used." Ren explained, causing the others to nod their heads, accepting his answer. "This one is the most stable, until I find a better formula to stabilize the others I am afraid I cannot show them to you, the risk being too high."

Of course, that was a lie. All of them were stable, but only the two thieves knew how to use them properly.

It would do no good to play all their cards onto the table, don't you think?

He would show them this in order to wave off suspicion but would reveal more of it should they become more curious. Should they choose to make a deal with him, maybe he would show them what he got.

Of course, that's assuming if they wanted anything to do with it.

"Thank you, Mr. Amamiya. I will test this right away." Glynda said. Inspecting the vial with a critical eye, she gave it a small shake, watching the dust become more violent, but calming itself.

It was an interesting thing to watch.

She couldn't wait to see what it was capable of.

"Now, I think it's time we head to our respective classes, don't you agree? It was nice speaking with you all, I can't wait to see what you all have to offer." Politely nodding at his teachers, Ren took his leave, heading to his class.

"I'll join you. You are in _my_ class after all." Hearing footsteps, Ren saw Peter now at his side. The man's hands behind his back as they walked side by side.

"Would you like to hear a story of my youth, Mr. Amamiya?" Port asked, his moustache twitching in excitement.

"I… don't see why not." Ren said, not knowing the grave he just dug.

1 hour before class started..

A now long and painful hour.

* * *

Weiss could say that Ruby was an absolute dunce.

The girl blew a whistle right beside her ear, had her _decorate_ , and now made her late for class.

Some _leader_ Ruby was.

So here she was running to class, alongside her team and Jaune, the group having class together.

So much for the first day of school.

She could already see her sister scolding her.

Running through the open entrance, Weiss screamed an apology, hoping that she wouldn't get into anymore trouble than they were already in.

"WE'RE SORRY WE'RE LATE!"

But instead of their instructor reprimanding them-

He wasn't even there at all.

"Huh? Where's…?" She began, looking around to find the teacher in charge. Only to find that no adult was in the room.

Where was he?

Outside the hall, a loud booming voice could be heard. Understanding the situation, RWBY and Jaune quickly took their seats, acting as if they were never late to begin with.

"Mr. Amamiya, I must say you are quite sharp-witted! Seeing through my story so easily!" The students heard, the voice sounding excited and impressed. Wondering what was going on, everyone listened in, paying close attention to what was going to be said next.

"It's not hard to notice. Despite your… _confident_ telling of the story, I could clearly read the lines in between. I'm sure I can actually catch a beowolf now if I wanted to." They heard Ren said. His voice genuine, yet sounding… pained?

' _Why is he with…?'_

Watching Professor Port enter the room while conversing with Ren, Weiss couldn't help but wonder why the two were talking so casually. What were the two doing before coming here?

"You would make an exceptional leader, Mr. Amamiya." Professor Port said. Unknowingly lighting a spark within Weiss' heart.

Not even noticing Ren taking a seat above her team, Weiss' mind went into a frenzy.

"A true hunter must be honorable" Peter began, his lecture already beginning.

Weiss could only watch Ruby play like a buffoon.

"A true hunter must be dependable."

She watched Ruby fall asleep, her teeth gritting at the sight.

"A true hunter must be strategic, well educated, and wise!"

' _Ruby is not any of those!'_ Weiss screamed internally, her body shaking at the thought that her _leader_ was nothing more than a **child**!

"Now… Who among you think that you are the embodiment of these traits?" Peter finished, wondering who would raise their-

"I DO SIR!" Weiss said, violently raising her hand as she said those words.

"Well then, let us find out. Step forward and face your opponent!" Peter said, gesturing to the cage in the corner of the room.

It shook violently, grunts and growls coming from within, red eyes snapped open, its figure shrouded by darkness.

Weiss' eyes narrowed at the cage, then at Ruby.

' _I'll show her what a_ _ **true**_ _huntress is all about!'_ Weiss thought, quickly running to the changing room at the back to get her things. Using the rocket locker to deliver her items.

 _She_ was meant to be leader. _She_ deserved it.

Glancing back at the room she left, she only thought of one thing.

' _I'll show you… I'll show you all!'_

* * *

Ren watched Weiss go to the impromptu stage, observing her face, not her form.

Her team supported her, just as a team should have, but…

' _Every time Ruby speaks, she snaps.'_ Ren thought. The heiress clearly agitated by the girl, even if she hadn't done anything wrong.

The only thing that was wrong was Weiss' personality.

' _Let's see what you're made of.'_

He watched the fight, analyzing the boarbatusk, and the huntress-in-training.

It should have been a breeze for her. The beast being less agile than she was, its strengths only shining if it actually hits you.

He watched her get frustrated after Ruby cheered.

' _Her sword got stuck in it's tusks…'_

He watched Weiss glare at Ruby whenever encouraged by her.

' _Her sword went flying, and she got hit…'_

He watched her dodge the grimm, reuniting with her blade.

And then Ruby tried giving her advice, something anyone would be grateful for.

"STOP TELLING ME WHAT TO DO!" He watched Weiss scream, causing Ruby to get dejected.

She killed the grimm, but she was exhausted, mentally and physically.

He needed to do something about this.

Waiting for class to end, he followed after Weiss from the shadows, passing the heiress without her noticing him, until eventually heading outside.

Leaning against the wall beside the exit that led to some benches, Ren waited for the girl. Grabbing a bottle of water from his bag, he tossed it expertly in the air, before catching it. Repeating the process until she got there.

He could hear the one-sided rant of Weiss, how Ruby had done _nothing_ , how she _deserved_ better.

She truly needed a change of heart.

He watched her pass by him, too angry to even notice his presence.

"I think _someone_ deserves a drink." He said.

Watching her turn around to face him, he tossed the bottle to her, which she caught. She opened it, savouring the contents of inside, before closing it.

"Thanks…" Weiss said, grateful for the hydration. No doubt thirsty from the battle _and_ yelling at Ruby.

"Is something wrong?" Ren asked, genuine sincerity coating his words. As much as he didn't like the attitude she gave to Ruby, he needed to hear both sides of the story. He needed to know, before speaking.

It wouldn't be fair if he didn't.

"Let's take a seat first. You must be a little tired from that match." Ren offered, Weiss gratefully accepting. The two took a seat on the bench, both looking at the view that was Beacon Academy.

"I… I should've been leader of team RWBY." She said, not looking at him as she did so.

"Why?"

"Huh?"

"Why should you have been the leader?" Ren asked again, his voice gentle.

"Did you not see my fight with the boarbatusk? I was exceptional-"

"All I saw was you getting mad at Ruby." Cutting her off, Ren decided to add another bit for her. "Not only that, you were breathing quite hard after that fight. Not that _exceptional_ if you ask me."

"Wha-?! How dare you!" She yelled, standing up as rage filled her being. She was about to scream his ear off but-

That look he gave her stopped the words right at her throat.

"Ruby cheered for you, supported you, tried to help you. But you lost your temper and threw it back in her face, not even regarding **her** feelings." Ren began, drilling a hole into Weiss. "You may be exceptional, but with that attitude… you're just a spoiled princess."

"That's…" Weiss began, only for her to stop, and look at the ground. Her left hand crossing over to grab her right arm.

"Can you honestly tell me that Ruby deserved that? That she deserved to be shouted at, for doing nothing?" Ren continued, not letting up the pressure.

She remained silent, his words hitting her like a ton of bricks.

Sighing, Ren stood up, looking at the girl as he did so.

"I think Ruby deserves better." Ren said, stating his true feelings about the whole fiasco.

Weiss didn't meet his eyes, clearly affected by what he said. As mean as it was, he needed to fix this attitude; if it meant helping this group.

"You know, just because Ruby is leader, doesn't mean she's the best in the team." Ren began, his eyes closed, his hands placed in his pockets, a smile forming on his lips. "I think you deserve better too after all."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Weiss asked, looking up to the young man berating her just a second ago.

"Become the best teammate; someone so important that they become dysfunctional without you." Ren began, mirth in his eyes. "Become the best person you can be. Sure you didn't become leader, but you know what? I think you could do better than that." Ren said, staring at Weiss expectantly, as if hoping his message got across to her.

Weiss stared at the man in front of her in surprise, not expecting such kind words and expectations placed on her like that. Even if he had berated her, he didn't seem like a bad guy.

"You think…I could do better than team leader?"

"I _know_ you can do better… it's up to you to take the first step." Ren said, quoting Ozpin's last sentence during the welcome ceremony.

"I think I've said enough." Turning around, Ren began walking away from the girl to let her sort her thoughts. "Sorry If what I said was mean, but it didn't sit well with me how frustrated you looked, and the sad look on your leader's face."

"No… I… I needed to be set straight. I… Thank you, Ren. I'm sorry for my behaviour from earlier." Weiss said. A blush on her face as she said so, embarrassed that she let her temper get the best of her.

Satisfied with her humilty, Ren was about to take off once more, but was stopped when the heiress asked one more question.

"Why did you help me?" Weiss asked, curious as to why he had meddled with her affairs. It was none of his business, so why?

"I'm just trying to be the best teammate I can be." And with that he left, leaving her alone, her only company being her thoughts.

Turning the corner, he was greeted to the sight of Peter Port, a smiling Peter Port, if his moustache was anything to go by.

"That was quite the speech, Mr. Amamiya. It was quite moving, I must thank you as a teacher for dealing with this problem." Patting Ren on the back as he walked passed him.

"I only did what I felt was right. Ozpin did say I should get to know the other teams, didn't he?"

"Indeed! Get some rest, you deserve it!" Peter said, before leaving to do his own thing.

Ren walked, faster when Port left. A new goal in mind.

He had to deal with a certain pair of twins now.

* * *

Opening the door to his room, Ren was expecting the twin wardens.

Instead he got Lavenza.

"Welcome back Trickster." She said, curtsying with the shirt he had given her.

Wait.

"Shirt" not plural.

Where was the other one?

Noticing that he was looking around, Lavenza laughed, happily smiling at him.

"I put the other one back in your drawers. I apologize for the two waking you up like that this morning, but we were just so worried." Lavenza said.

She had no actual control over the two's actions. They were their own persons.

It was confusing.

Chuckling weakly at the memory, Ren patted her head, before turning his attention to the cat on his bed.

"Morgana, what happened while I was gone?"

"Well~, we decided to explore the school grounds, Lavenza made it so no one could see us. Nice curry by the way." Morgana complimented, his whiskers twitching as he smelled the delicacy. Lavenza finished whatever was left in the pots, the girl devouring the food like no tomorrow.

It was hard to imagine she was just a little kid.

"Ah, so that's what I forgot to wash…" Ren slapped his head for forgetting such a simple thing, he had turned off the stove, but forgot to put the contents in the fridge for someone else to use later.

His bad.

"Don't worry, we washed it." Morgana said, pulling said pots out from underneath the bed.

"Thank you, you two." Affectionately patting their heads, Ren was about to go grab the items, when the building shook.

"An attack?!" Lavenza shouted, summoning her grimoire, as well as going into a stance. Fully expecting a battle, she began charging herself, shaking the room all the while.

"Wait Lavenza, it's not that!" Morgana shouted, pleading to Igor that she stopped. This place couldn't handle her power; she'd destroy the school.

Ren was about to go outside to check but was interrupted when his scroll buzzed. Looking at it, the caller was Glynda Goodwitch.

"Lavenza, hide." Ren ordered, telling the girl to go before he answered the call.

Nodding, Lavenza summoned the Velvet Room door from nowhere, her book glowing as she did so. It opened for her, welcoming her back. With a nod, she walked inside, but not before saying a few words to the two.

"Visit us soon~!" she said, her voice echoing, before she disappeared.

The door stayed however, it now taking residence in his abode.

Understanding what she just did, Ren answered the call, only to be met with a dishevelled Goodwitch.

What happened?

"Mr. Amamiya, could you please head to the amphitheatre? Me and the other professors would like to have a word." She told him, only for her scroll to short circuit, the call ending before he could respond.

"Wanna come with, Morgana?" Ren asked his feline companion, knowing full well that the cat hated being cooped up in the room by himself.

"Mmm. I wonder what that was all about… wait you didn't give them the dust, did you?"

"I did. Needed to explain why there was a giant crater where the relics were." Ren explained. His feline companion nodded, accepting why he had done so.

"To the amphitheatre! Onward, my steed!" Morgana said, jumping into Ren's school bag, finding a comfortable position to be in.

"To the amphitheatre!" Ren repeated, humoring Morgana, as he picked up the bag and walked off.

' _I wonder what happened.'_

It was already night time when the buildings shook, already 11 when he got to the arena. When he arrived, he was met with an… interesting development.

Glynda Goodwitch had her clothes singed, her hair sticking out, and smoke coming off of her if he focused. Next to her, Professor Port had an afro, visible static coming off of it every now and then, his clothes were singed, more so than Glynda's. And then there was Professor Peach, sprawled out on the ground, her body on fire, while muttering "what the hell" over and over.

Ozpin calmly sipped his coffee, having decided to sit on the bleachers. Doctor Oobleck beside him, sharing the contents of his thermos every now and then to the headmaster.

"So… what happened here?" Ren asked, already knowing the answer, Morgana popped out his head from the bag, looking at the occupants of the room in shock.

"They look like absolute shit right now…" Morgana said, not caring to censor his thoughts as that's what they honestly looked like.

One of the Professors was on _fire_.

"Mr. Amamiya. When you said that this was stable. I thought you were being honest… This. This is _not_ stable." Glynda glared, her eyes twitching. This _thing_ was not even remotely stable, it was absolutely wild, her losing control the moment it was released.

 _She_ lost control. One of the best practitioners of dust in Vale. A testament to how dangerous this was.

' _And you used_ _ **less**_ _stable ones at the initiation…'_ She thought, her eyes narrowing at the prospect.

She would need to confiscate them. They were too dangerous to handle.

Raising his eyebrow, Ren looked at the carnage. Parts of the floor had been destroyed, fire surrounding the damage, scorch marks were everywhere, no doubt from the lightning. Even the bleachers were not safe, the glass broken, scattering throughout the room.

"May I see the remaining contents?" Ren asked, holding his left hand out for the vial.

Glynda nodded, grabbing the vial as though it were poison, lightly handing it to him.

' **Kohryu.** _I'll need your help with this._ ' Ren thought, the dragon in his mind nodding at the request.

"May I borrow your weapon for this? I would like to try something." Ren said to Glynda, deadly serious, as his face was now a blank.

Glynda, confused by his request, hesitantly handed her riding crop to the boy. Unsure of what he was going to do, she decided to watch, jumping to the bleachers to not be hit by his demonstration. Port followed, dragging Professor Peach by the hands, a quick "thank you" leaving her mouth, despite being left on fire. Morgana did the same, jumping out of his bag, before saying his piece to Ren.

"Try not to break them."

Nodding, Ren searched the weapon, finding the compartment that held dust for it to utilize. Ren opened it, before popping the vial open, haphazardly pouring the dust inside.

Glynda looked on in alarm, clearly not liking the thought of her weapon being his guinea pig. "Mr. Amamiya. I believe that is-"

"Let's see what the boy has to show us, Glynda." Ozpin interrupted. No longer downing his coffee, he had his elbows on his knees, his fingers crossed together. And more importantly, he had a glint in his eyes.

He was curious, interested in what the young man was trying to do.

 _Going_ to do.

Resigning herself, Glynda watched on, not believing her own weapon was going to be used to conduit that _dust_.

She was going to have a _chat_ with Mr. Amamiya when she got the chance.

Ren held the riding crop now surging with electricity, much like Caroline's shock baton. Not wanting to look suspicious, Ren let 'aura' out of his right hand, blue flames exuding from it.

With **Kohryu** reflecting the lightning back into the weapon, Ren pulled the crop back, intending on swinging it.

He closed his eyes. Remembering the readings from every book, every experience he had using the crystal energy source.

Dust was a strange thing.

From 'magic circles' that had infinite uses, to manipulation of the elements.

It was versatile; however, only a few could appreciate the actual power it had when used raw.

It required discipline, knowledge, and aura to do so.

Something he had in spades.

'Aura' was the manifestation of the soul, while 'persona' was the manifestation of one's personality.

Two different things, yet so closely related.

One's own soul shaped their personality, yet one's personality shaped their soul. A never-ending loop, only stopping at death.

His personas were his 'aura', physical manifestations of his soul. His 'semblance' was the wild card, allowing him to summon many persona should he be strong enough.

He took a deep breath, channeling his power. Blue blames flickering into existence around him.

And then he swung it, letting the dust unleash itself onto the world.

He infused his power into the swing, creating a projectile wave of electricity. The force of his swing so strong it caused a shockwave.

He aimed at the ground, letting the wave of electricity hit it, it's power comparable to a concentrated _Ziodyne_.

He watched the ground shatter, the debris flying everywhere, but he didn't care.

For the true show was starting now.

A 'magic circle' appeared where his attack landed, expanding to the size of the stadium itself, before disappearing.

Suddenly, thunder clouds formed above, blacking out the stadium, the only light source being the lightning it generated.

Raising the riding crop, the clouds began to concentrate into a singular mass. Thunder filled the air, as lightning was violently generated by a single black cloud.

Yet it was controlled, all by him.

' **Odin.'** Switching Kohryu out for the Norse god; the god gave him power, changing his abilities in an instant.

Kohyru was there to reflect the electricity back to the riding crop.

 **Odin** was there to let him fully unleash the attack.

With **Odin** at the forefront of his mind, he swung the riding crop down, all the while saying one of his favourite lines.

" **Begone!"**

A single bolt of lightning shot forth from the cloud, hitting a single spot on the ground.

It was essentially _**Thunder Reign**_ , just without the spear.

Wanting to prove a point, Ren made sure that the point of impact didn't go wild. This wasn't the actual skill, this was dust; he was just bringing it to its full potential.

Three seconds passed before the lightning stopped.

Another three for the single cloud to disappear.

Returning to a neutral stance, Ren looked at the riding crop, then opened the dust compartment.

Everything was intact; the dust was all gone.

Satisfied, Ren rubbed the back of his neck, looking slightly embarrassed, and smirked.

Perhaps he went too far again…

Looking over to the teachers, Ren couldn't help but worry for them.

All of them had stayed silent the entire time, and when it was finished they stayed silent.

There was no gaping, there was no questioning, they only stared at him with critical eyes, their emotions not appearing on their faces.

Until Peach decided to express herself.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" She screamed, her eyes bugging out of their sockets, her body being held back by Professor Port.

"Calm down! You're going to have an aneurysm!" Port yelled, begging for the woman to stop moving. She had all her aura depleted from earlier, the fire being the cause, and as such was vulnerable to everything, including herself.

"That was… quite the display." Doctor Oobleck said, his awe evident in his voice. He stared at Ren with more interest than ever, no doubt wondering what rock this talented youth had been hiding under.

He was a mystery, one he couldn't wait to see unfold.

Ren looked at Ozpin, the man not moving a single inch. Taking note of his feature's he saw him tremble slightly. Ren was going to ask if he was okay, but Ozpin spoke, his voice finally catching up to him.

"It seems you have been hiding a great deal of power from us, Mr. Amamiya." Ozpin said. However, Ren could tell there was no malice in the sentence, only amusement.

"I keep my cards close to my chest. Don't want anyone trying to cheat me after all." Ren told him, explaining his caution to the headmaster.

"Yes, I can understand that. You said that you had more variations of this dust, correct?" Ozpin said, his glasses not showing his eyes, hiding his intent from Ren.

"I do." Ren answered, unsure of what Ozpin wanted.

"I see… In the future I may just end up striking a deal with you, Mr. Amamiya." Ozpin declared, smiling at the young man as he took a sip of the coffee Ren had made, courtesy of Oobleck.

"Hey~! You okay?" Looking to where his cat was, Ren was given an odd sight.

Glynda Goodwitch was frozen in her seat, even more stiff than usual. Morgana was pawing at her legs, trying to get her to move, but to no avail. The cat pawed at her, kneading her legs, talked to her; he did anything to get her out of her funk.

However, she sat still, expressionless, more so than Ozpin.

Suddenly, she stood up, scaring Morgana as he yowled. She jumped off the bleachers to the stadium, before making her way towards him.

Suddenly feeling that his life was in danger, Ren began to slowly back away, dread filling his being for some unknown reason.

Did he do something wrong?

Backing up, Ren eventually hit a wall, silently cursing his sudden lack of spatial awareness. He watched her stalk over to him, her eyes shadowed by her hair, and the glare of her glasses. She gave off a horrible aura, suffocating the air around him.

She now stood in front of him, her eyes now visible, as she gave him a hard stare. No words were spoken, no movement was made, the only thing that was made was the sweat dripping down his forehead, nervousness taking control.

And then all of a sudden, that repulsive aura around her disappeared, as if never existing. She backed off, taking a step back, before adjusting her glasses.

"Ren Amamiya. Become my assistant for my Dust Theory and Application class."

…What?

 **LINE BREAK.**

"I'm sorry what…?" She heard Ren say, no doubt confused by the sudden invitation.

Adjusting her glasses, and a twinkle in her eye. She began her reasoning with him, trying to persuade him into the position.

"You have proven time and time again that you are a skilled individual. Not only that, Peter told us of your meddling with Ms. Schnee; resolving an issue within team RWBY, which proves your patience. You have also shown above-average intelligence, and adaptability. Try to deny all you want, that show you gave us proves all the more why I should have you as a T.A."

"I would also like you to teach me how you managed to control the output, range, and power of what you just did earlier." She added quickly, hoping her true intentions weren't leaked out.

She _really_ wanted to do what he just did, her inner child screaming for her to learn the technique he had used.

Not wanting to make him feel like this was a one-sided deal, Glynda added more, trying her best to make this beneficial to both of them.

"If you decide to accept the position, you will be exempted from all of my Dust classes for the upcoming 4 years, since you will be attending them as the T.A. Extra credit will be rewarded, and if nothing remarkable is happening you will be free to do as you wish, so long as it doesn't involve illegal affairs." Glynda said, listing the benefits to the student before her.

' _Accept!'_ her mind screamed at him, trying it's best to mentally push him into taking the offer.

"I have one more condition to add then." Ren said, trying to add his own bit to the proposal.

"And that is?"

"I would like Morgana to come with me during those times." Ren proposed, adjusting his glasses at the same time.

"Deal." Glynda said, not even questioning why he wanted the cat with him. Probably some personal thing, he was technically alone in the school, having no actual constant besides the cat.

Poor guy. He had her sympathies.

The two shaked on it, another deal made between them. At this rate, she wouldn't be surprised if she made another one.

Looking over to the other professors, she couldn't help but smirk at their surprised looks. This was the first time Beacon actually _had_ a T.A. The reason being there were few hunters capable of teaching future generations, even fewer students capable of teaching anyone.

"With that said, I believe you should rest. You have classes tomorrow after all." Glynda said, concern flowing out of her due to his demonstration. "You are excused from my morning class; consider it compensation for bringing you out here so late at night."

Nodding at her, Ren left the building, Morgana jumping into his bag, giving her one last meow, before the two turned the corner.

"I can assume he is your favourite student, Glynda?" Peter said, walking up to her with Peach in tow. The woman still not calming down after seeing the lightning.

Neither had she, to be honest.

"I have no _favourites_. I merely happen to see a student with great potential." Glynda stated. Excusing herself, she walked to her living quarters, tired from the stress of school. When she reached her room, she began preparing herself to sleep.

Finally in bed, she turned off the lights, a single thought running through her mind.

' _You never fail to impress me. I hope you continue to do so, Ren Amamiya.'_

With her thoughts said, she closed her eyes, falling into a deep sleep soon after. Hoping to whatever god out there that tomorrow wouldn't be as hectic as today.

It couldn't possibly be as bad as today.

Right?

* * *

 **AN**

 **Lucifer**

 **Jack Frost**

 **Yoshitsune**

 **Alice**

 **Arsene**

 **Ishtar**

 **Kohryu**

 **Odin**

 **This chapter was awkward for me.**


	10. Two leaders

**AN**

 **Sorry for late update. Next chapter tomorrow.**

* * *

When Glynda woke up, she had been happy. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, the sound of laughter filling the air…

Today was a beautiful day. Peace had truly decided to descend upon Remnant.

Slowly getting up out of her bed, Glynda begun her morning ritual: a shower, a look at her scroll, then a nice serene walk to her class.

Taking her shower, Glynda thought about her schedule for the day. She had her Dust theory class for 4 hours today and would be staying behind an extra hour in case anyone needed any more help with the curriculum. After that she had combat class with the 2nd years, and then a meeting with the other professors regarding the upcoming Vytal Festival.

A simple day for the woman. How nice.

Once finished drying herself and changing, Glynda looked for the scroll, the object nowhere to be found. She searched all throughout her room, until she found it under her pillow, a place she made a habit not to put it under.

Turning on her scroll, Glynda looked at her notifications. Mail about the Vytal Festival, Teacher reminders by Ozpin, her alarm on snooze for the past hour-

…Snooze? Past hour?

Checking the screen once more, she remembered having pressed 'snooze' to get a few more minutes of sleep, but an hour…

What time was it now?

Glancing at the clock on her wall, not trusting the electronic device, Glynda stared at the constantly moving hands. Her eyes widening at the revelation.

"8:45…"

…

Classes started in 15 minutes.

Preparations for her Dust Class took 30 minutes.

It took 10 minutes to walk there.

…She had excused her assistant for the class too, hadn't she?

…She was going to be late wasn't she…?

…Like hell she was.

Bolting out of her room with her scroll and riding crop, Glynda sprinted to her classroom, her serene walk thrown to the garbage. Forgoing all dignity, Glynda yelled at anyone who stood in her way. The lucky few jumping out of the way, while the more spatially challenged…

Her semblance had it's uses, what could she say.

' _I can't believe this…'_ she thought, internally bashing her head in for such an amateur mistake.

Dust theory and application was a new class implemented into Beacon. Mandatory for 1st and 2nd year students, but optional for 3rd and 4th years. The council thought it to be appropriate to have such a thing. She never told the other professors it was her suggestion; her lips sealed, as they wondered where the idea had risen from.

And here she was late for the very class she had suggested.

How absurd.

Not to mention that the Dust class had to go through series of preparations in order for everything to run smoothly. Prepared dust crystals for demonstrations, printed course syllabuses, safety preparations in case a student caused an incident, in-class assignments…. The list just went on.

There were much to do in so little time. Even with her semblance. She would have to forego so many things she had planned out, barely scrape by until they reached the halfway point, and leave the class in order to print out the handouts for the class.

She couldn't help but let out a tired sigh, her day just beginning, yet already so troublesome.

Today was not a beautiful day.

Broken out of her thoughts at the sight of her lecture door, Glynda turned the corner, expecting students to be inside preparing for her class.

Only to find that only one person was inside, one she had not expected to see today.

"Mr. Amamiya…?"

What was he doing here? She had excused him from attending… She fully expected him to be sleeping through the morning, any other student would.

"Ah, you're finally here. I've already prepared everything for today." Ren said, handing her a few papers as he walked up to her. "I had woken up early despite everything that had happened yesterday and decided to come to class."

"I see… Did you just say you had everything prepared for today?" Glynda slowly questioned. Ren nodded at her, gesturing to the already prepared room.

Taking a glance at the lecture hall, Glynda could only stare in awe at the young man's work. The class syllabus along with today's assignment were placed on the student's desks, her class lecture about various dust and its effects written on the chalkboard in neat writing, even the safety equipment was tucked away in the corner.

Everything was ready. Not a single object missing for the day.

How?

"I ran into Ozpin earlier, so I asked him for what you needed for today. He gladly showed me where you placed your equipment for the class and gave me your plans for today, along with a syllabus. When I got here no one had showed up and nothing was ready for the day. I took it upon myself to prepare the class. Of course, I did have some help… right Morgana?" Ren explained, turning his head to the front of the room, calling out his pet's name. Glynda couldn't help but jump a bit when the feline jumped up from behind the teacher's desk, meowing back at his owner in response.

"Morgana helped you…?"

"He's capable of handling machinery, I had him go print out all the papers."

" _Meow~._ "

"Oh, be quiet, you show off."

" _MEOW?!_ "

Glynda watched the cat pounce on his owner's face, clawing at Ren while staying on him, only for Ren to toss him off. The two began bickering with each other. Ren sassily talking to Morgana, while Morgana howled at Ren.

It was an interesting scene, but class was about to begin. Stepping in between the two, Glynda was about to stop them.

Except her stomach decided to do it for her. The organ roaring in hunger.

Wide-eyed and blushing, Glynda put her hands to her belly, embarrassed by the noise it produced.

"I'll go grab you something to eat. The cafeteria should have something to snack on." Ren said.

"Yes, please do."

Glynda watched the student leave the room, the two residents of the room now her and Morgana. Gently picking the feline up, she gave him a few belly rubs which made the cat purr.

"You two are full of surprises, aren't you?" Glynda asked, amused by the feline's behaviour.

Getting a pleased meow as a response, Glynda walked over to the front desk, dropping Morgana on it, and taking a seat for herself behind it. Before she could get herself situated, Morgana pulled a mug from… somewhere, using his tail to carry the handle, dropping the ceramic in front of her. Glynda couldn't help but read the note that was attached to it.

" _For Glynda, from Ren Amamiya"_ she said aloud, surprised by how considerate her assistant was. Picking up the mug, and giving the drink a sip, she couldn't help but release a sigh.

That was some good coffee.

Turning on her scroll, she couldn't help but notice her class list. RWBY, JNPR, and CFVY were all in this class, there were others, but they weren't as… interesting as the former.

Ruby Rose, prodigy with a scythe, but the youngest student attending Beacon. She excelled in armed combat with her weapon, but from her grades in Signal Glynda could tell she was only slightly above average, her dust classes being the lowest score.

Yang Xiao Long was the same as her sister. The girl barely using any form of dust to fight, opting to use her shotgun gauntlets to battle. While it was not a problem, it would be wise to have a few tricks besides brawling it out with an opponent.

Blake Belladonna was not a problem, having shown an above average level of dust knowledge, something Glynda was happy about.

Weiss Schnee would excel in her class, having an expansive knowledge of dust due to her heritage, and the kingdom she lived in, Atlas.

Nora Valkyrie, Lie Ren, and Pyrrha Nikos were all aware of the uses of dust and its versatility. Glynda was quite surprised to figure out that Nora had the highest score in the Dust Exam, something Ms. Schnee failed to reach.

Nora probably took an interest in dust due to it exploding, but knowledge was knowledge. So long as she didn't cause an explosion within her class then she would gladly have Ms. Valkyrie in her class.

Jaune Arc… was going to fail this class. The boy had forged his way into Beacon, something she made sure to check. If the boy couldn't handle the first session, then he was going to suffer this whole year. The only way she could think he would pass is if his team were to help him, but even then, it would barely be enough.

He needed a miracle. A giant world changing miracle. Call her cynical, but she didn't think it would come.

Team CFVY were going to do fine, they were an exceptional team after all, each member having passed the first year with relative ease. She had high hopes for them, especially Ms. Scarlatina. That weapon she made was a masterpiece, something that could only be made with a understanding of the energy source.

Before she could continue the rant any longer, her stomach wailed, begging her to get something to eat. She would ignore it; Ren was getting her some food after all.

And that's when _they_ came in.

Students entered the room, chatting with one another as they took their seats. RWBY, JNPR, and CFVY all took their seats, before they stopped talking.

Until she heard a small "What a cute cat" from one of her students. The feline in question now grooming its paws as it sat down like a human.

Standing up with a sigh, she looked around the room with a stern expression, and made her riding crop visible to the class. The students visibly shrinking a bit at the intimidating sight she had made.

"I am Glynda Goodwitch. I will be your instructor for Dust Theory and Application. Be warned that if you do not take this class seriously, you will fail." Emphasizing her point, she slapped her riding crop on her leg, making a cracking sound as it hit. Everyone flinched, jumping a bit from their chairs as their eyes widened in fear.

"Welcome to Dust Theory and Application. Do **not** disappoint me."

' _You'll regret it if you do.'_

* * *

Ruby Rose was not a happy student, at least not in this class. She didn't mean to sound rude or anything, but Glynda Goodwitch was-

 ***CRACK***

 _Professor_ Goodwitch scared the daylights out of her, and everyone else in the room. If an Ursa were to suddenly appear in the room, Goodwitch's presence alone would have made it run away.

She was just that scary.

Of course, the cat on Glynda's table wasn't. Ruby almost squealed at the sight of it, licking its little paws as it sat like a human would.

"Alright students, in front of you is an assignment that needs to be finished. I expect that it will be completed by the end of class." Glynda said. "If you are not finished the assignment, you will have to stay after class until you do. I also recommend that you ask your peers for help if you need any. Those that cannot answer these questions will be likely to fail this class."

Ruby couldn't help but gawk at that statement, worried that this class was much harder than she thought it was going to be. Her fellow whispering to each other, just as shocked as she was.

' _At least I have Weiss… right?'_ Ruby thought in her head. Taking a look at the first few questions, Ruby answered them with ease. The next few were a little tougher, but she answered them. Soon enough she had reached the halfway point.

And that was when all hell broke loose. A theory filled hell with no signs of stopping whatsoever.

Turning her head to the heiress beside her, Ruby poked her shoulder. "Ummm… Weiss? A little help, please?"

"Not now, you dunce. I'm trying to concentrate." Weiss said, her eyes trained in on the questions before the paper.

"But-"

"Is there a problem Ms. Rose?" Glynda asked, causing Ruby to shrink back into her chair. The glare the teacher was giving her causing the her to tear up a bit.

"N-No…" Ruby answered. "Nothing at all."

Crying tears of despair, Ruby got back to her work, mindlessly writing in her answers. Watching Glynda from the corner of her eye, Ruby sneakily glanced around the room, hoping that she wasn't the only one having trouble. JNPR, CFVY, and all the other students in the class had stopped writing, their expressions ranging from confusion to defeat. Looking at her own team she noticed that Yang was biting her cheek and Blake furrowed her brow. Taking a good look at her partner, she noticed how Weiss's leg was shaking and how she tapped her pencil on the paper, her face scrunched up in concentration.

If Weiss couldn't figure it out, how was she going to do it?

' _This is our first assignment?'_ Ruby thought, going back to her previous questions to double check if they were right or not. Confirming they were, Ruby went back to the question she was stuck on. One of the many that needed to be finished.

"This is insane…" She heard Yang say.

"How do you answer this…?" That was Pyrrha.

"I'm going to die." Poor Jaune.

 ***SNAP*** That was Weiss's pencil snapping in half. Her partner's face clearly frustrated from her inability to answer the question. Ruby was sure Weiss's face would become permanently scrunched up if she didn't stop soon.

As if sensing the students defeat, Glynda Goodwitch took a step forward, releasing a disappointed sigh. "Do any of you need any help?" She asked, sounding so disappointed with her students. Ruby couldn't help but wince, like it was _their_ fault that they couldn't answer those damned questions.

…Ok maybe it was, but that didn't mean Professor Goodwitch had be so mean about it.

Everyone raised their hands, causing the professor to sigh once. Watching Glynda walk closer to her team, Ruby cheered at the prospect of being helped, feeling glad that she and her team decided to sit in the front.

That was until Glynda passed them entirely.

Crying as her only hope had left her to die, Ruby put her head down on the table. Pouting at how unfair this was. She was about to just resign herself to just staying after class but was startled out of her thoughts. A black-haired, glasses wearing boy with a plate of sandwiches to blame.

"Would you like some help?"

"UAAAH?!"

Flailing her arms, Ruby fell of the chair, her body crashing to the ground. Looking up at the figure, she noticed it was none other than Ren Amamiya, the person who had passed initiation by himself. Quickly standing to her feet, she took her seat once more and blushed, embarrassed by falling down, and noticed that everyone's attention was on her.

Or the guy with he sandwiches. She wasn't so sure.

"Mr. Amamiya? When did you get…? Never mind. Thank you for bringing that, please put it on my table. Everyone, this is Ren Amamiya; a fellow student of Beacon, as well as this class's T.A." Glynda introduced. "Feel free to ask him for any help."

Putting the plate on Glynda's desk, Ren turned around and bowed his head. "It's nice to meet you. Would anyone like some help with the assignment?" He said, his glasses shining as he did so.

Ruby couldn't help but think the guy was smart. Really smart. If someone's glasses did that it usually meant it, at least from her comic books it was.

A second too late to ask for help, Jaune raised his hand before hers. His voice nervous and stuttering. "Umm….m-mind helping us?"

Turning her head to look at him, Ruby couldn't help but feel the same as his team. Nora, Lie Ren, and even Pyrrha had a pleading look on their faces. Their head and shoulders drooping down in shame as they looked down at the evil paper in front of them.

Poor JNPR… wait no, poor her. She needed help just as much as they did.

Cursing herself for being too slow, Ruby watched Ren walk up to the table Jaune's team was on. She couldn't help but notice how JNPR seemed to suddenly perk up when he came to them. She couldn't hear what Ren was saying to Jaune's team, but by their looks of understanding she could guess that he was doing a good job of helping them. By the time he was finished with them, team JNPR had their pencils on their papers, a series of cheers and sighs of relief escaping them when they were done.

"Anyone else need assistance?" Ren asked, standing up as JNPR completed their assignment. Ruby couldn't resist anymore and shot her hand up, shaking it wildly to get the guy's attention. Screaming and shaking her body to get his attention.

"US! PLEASE! US!" She didn't want to stay any longer in this forsaken classroom, especially if she had to get help from Glynda, the woman was too scary for her and she doubted she could learn something from the teacher without being too terrified to listen.

She couldn't help but squeal when he walked beside her and leaned to look at her paper, excitement coursing through her.

"What do you need help with?"

"WellIneedhelpwiththisthisthisthisandthat." She began in a frenzy, as she said what she did understand and what she didn't. "HowdidyouevenbecomeGoodwitch' 'sabsolutelyterrifying-mmmph?!"

And was cut off by Weiss.

' _Thanks bestie.'_

"What she means to say is 'Can you help please?', and 'How did you become her T.A?' No seriously, how did you become her T.A?" Weiss asked, placing her hand over Ruby's mouth to stop her from saying anything unnecessary. "Some of these questions have _me_ stumped. I find it hard to believe that you can help us with this."

The air leaving her body and her face paling, Ruby couldn't help but curse her partner, hoping she hadn't offended her only hope for this class.

' _Don't run away, please ignore her, help us…!'_ Ruby begged within her head, praying to Monty that Weiss didn't discourage him into helping them. Fortunately, the guy in front of her only adjusted his glasses, his eyes amused by Weiss's comment, his mouth curling to a smirk.

Ruby couldn't help but think he kind of looked cool when he did that.

"Well, give me a chance to help you girls. Then you can decide whether or not to believe." Ren bit back. The smile on his face challenging the heiress. "Show me your questions Ruby, I'll help you as best as I can."

Trusting her only hope, Ruby slowly pointed at all the questions she needed help with. From "How the combination of water dust and wind dust created ice dust" to "How gravity dust can change the physical attributes of all other types of dust and enhance them". By the end of it all she had pointed to half the page.

And then he helped her with it. _All_ of it. Teaching and explaining to her just enough to figure out the question, without giving her the answer. Her teammates caught on shortly after, asking Ren for help as well, which he gladly did. Even Weiss had a few answers corrected thanks to him.

He was _that_ smart.

By the time Ruby was finished, Ms. Goodwitch was on her desk snacking on the sandwiches on her table. Ren moving to table to table to check on the other students if they needed anymore help. Quickly helping anyone in need.

Feeling as light as a feather when she finished the last question, an epic smile grew her face and her teammates. Glad that they had finished the paper suffering in front of them.

Without so much as a warning, all the student's assignments flew to Glynda, her semblance no doubt causing it. One by one the papers stacked until they were a neat pile.

Ruby couldn't help but sweat as she thought of one thing.

'… _Did I write my name!?'_

"I see that everyone has finished writing their answers. Since we will be doing a demonstration to end the class, I will check your work now. Please give me a moment." Glynda said, flipping through each of their papers with her semblance while eating a sandwich. Ruby couldn't help but twitch whenever her eyes narrowed, her body taken over by fear of the thought that it was her assignment Glynda was looking at.

' _Please let me pass, please don't scold me, I don't want to stay after class. Pleasepleaseplea-'_

"Well done." Glynda said, interrupting Ruby from her thoughts. "Everyone has finished all of the questions. I can see a few mistakes here and there but otherwise… Good job. Mr. Amamiya, since you were the one who prepared everything I trust that you know what we are going to be doing today?"

"Of course." Ren said, nodding his head in understanding at what the professor was implying.

"Today we'll be using wind dust and water dust to create ice dust." Ren began taking out a wind and water dust crystal from his pocket, expertly rolling the two across his fingers. "To make the secondary type of dust, wind dust is refined into powder, and is embedded into a water crystal." Tossing the crystals, they landed on his index finger, one balancing on top the other. "The elemental nature of wind dust will cause the water dust's composition to change; _freezing_ it, you could say." He finished, flipping the crystals into the air, before catching it in his other hand. A smile gracing his face.

"Any questions?"

No one answered. Everyone too busy with his little display with the crystals. Ruby couldn't help but be entertained by the assistant; his way of talking much more fun to listen to than any other teacher. Before Ren could speak once more, Weiss decided to intervene, her _Schnee_ attitude coming out for the world to see.

"You're holding a _crystal_ of wind dust." Weiss pointed out. "How do you plan on using that if there are no machines to refine it? And I doubt you can do it by-"

"Like this." Ren interrupted, showing his palm which now held the wind crystal out for everyone to see. Without a warning, he crushed it, a blue flame flickering around his hand. The sound of the dust crystal cracking filled the air, making the students flinch.

Didn't dust explode if it was damaged?

"Wha-?!"

"Take cover!"

"Mr. Amamiya?!"

"Yay! Explosions~!"

"Nora! Duck!"

The sound of students crashing to the ground filled the room, their screams following shortly after. Glynda raising her riding crop to prepare a protective barrier. Dust was a volatile energy source; a single crack in it could cause a massive explosion. So, when Ren crushed it in his hand, everyone braced themselves for the explosion to come.

Except it didn't happen. Instead of a deadly explosion, only a light breeze passed through the room.

"You all are so dramatic, you know that?" Ren amusedly said. One by one they stood up, all of them with a bemused expression on their faces. It was only until everyone looked at his now open palm that they realized what he had done. Doing something that should have been impossible without the use of high-tech machinery.

What was once a _crystal_ of dust was now _refined_ _powdered_ dust. A feat that could only be done by either specialized machinery, or hours of labour. Ren Amamiya had not done either, somehow only taking a moment to break down the crystal. No machinery, no processing, and no hours of work. Just his bare hand and a minute at best.

Ruby couldn't help but stare in wonder, finding what he had just done awesome.

"Mr. Amamiya…" Glynda began, unsure of what had occurred in front of her. "Did you just _refine_ the crystal by hand?"

"It is not completely refined; there are still larger sized bits of it. It will do for the demonstration however. I trust I can leave the rest to you?" Ren asked the professor, offering the two types of dust to her.

"Of course. Pay attention class." Glynda said, her aura glowing as she used her semblance to life it off Ren's hands.

Ruby watched the dust lift into the air, the wind dust surrounding the water crystal. She couldn't help but notice how the crystal seemed to glow whenever it touched the powder. Slowly, the two types of dust mixed together, making the original blue color of the crystal turn to a light blue, signifying that it was now an ice dust crystal.

Letting her powers subside, Glynda let the crystal fall. Before it could hit the ground however, the cat that was on her table jumped into the air, catching the crystal with its mouth. Before anyone could ask why it did that, a pillar of ice lifted the cat off the ground, the ice being as high as the ceiling.

Ruby couldn't help but think that the cat looked like it wanted to be worshipped. The feline sitting on the pillar, looking down on them all.

" _Meow."_

' _Yep, that cat is definitely showing off.'_

"As you can tell, the two dusts combined to create the secondary type of dust. And by the display Morgana had just made… it was a success." Glynda said. "Alright, class dismissed. You are all free to go. Please meet at the cliffside for your next class, you students will be experimenting with different types of dust with your weapons."

And with that everyone began walking out of the room. Ruby being the last person to leave. She was about to follow the rest of the students, but a thought struck through her head.

' _If today's class was this hard… What about the rest?!'_

Panicking at the likely odds of them getting an even harder assignment, Ruby's world began to warp. Her head spinning out of control from the thought of even harder questions, Ruby walked out of the classroom, only to bump into someone.

"Are you ok?" The voice asked, snapping her out of her hysterical thoughts. Was she ok? She didn't know at this point.

Looking at who she bumped into, she realized it was the person who had helped their team, Ren Amamiya. He was looking at her worry, a frown on his face as he looked at her.

He looked really kind at that moment. Not the creepy kind of kind, but just… kind.

' _Maybe he could help with out my studies…'_ Ruby thought. _'WAIT, HE CAN HELP WITH MY STUDIES. HE'S SMARTER THAN WEISS!'_

"CAN YOU TUTOR ME FOR OUR DUST CLASS?!" Ruby begged. Her eyes were pleading and her hands begging, she moved closer to the boy until she was invading his personal space, not caring for physical boundaries.

She was socially awkward, but when push come shove, she could throw that bit of her out the window for all she cared.

She just needed some help. She didn't want to fail that class and repeat it.

"Sure."

"YES!" Pumping her fist in the air, she celebrated to herself. She had just gotten a tutor, not just any tutor but a cool one, her class's T.A to be precise.

Was that allowed? She would ask Glynda later, right now she wanted to celebrate the thought of having a chance in that class.

"Oooh I know. Since you're going to tutor me, how about I pay you back by making you a weapon." Ruby proposed. Her body shaking at the thought of making a cool weapon for him. "Oh, what kind of weapon do you use? A long sword? A katana? A long sword that changes into a katana and a machine gun?!"

"That sounds like a good deal. I accept. Also, I just use a simple knife and a pistol. Maybe that could change if you were to help me. Is there anything else you need today, Ruby?"

"Wanna be friends?!" Ruby yelled, her socially-awkward tendencies disappearing entirely. Or maybe appearing, but she didn't care. This guy was smart, seemed pretty cool, AND nice.

She couldn't help but think that this guy was awesome.

"I don't see why not." He answered, making the smile on her face grow to epic proportions. "I'll give you my number, if that's okay?"

"YES!" Ruby shouted. Her voice probably could be heard across Beacon, but she didn't care. She made a friend, on her own, without exploding! Oh right, she shouted. "Sorry… I got excited."

"It's no problem"

The two exchanged numbers, before making their way to their respective dorms. "By the way, what's with the cat?" Ruby asked, gesturing to the cat inside the bag who had its head poking out of it. The cat seemed to notice and meow at her. The noise it produced making her squeal.

He was _too_ cute! Not as cute as Zwei, but still cute.

"His name is Morgana. Morgana this is Ruby, be nice to her." Ren introduced, turning his head slightly to notify the feline, who nodded in understanding. "He's my pet, but he's smart enough that he can use aura and dust." Ren explained to her. "You saw him make that pillar earlier, after all."

"That's so cool! He can use aura and dust. Can he fight grimm, can he use a can opener?" She said, quickly going over a list that Zwei could do. If that cat could do that then she would befriend it and make it best buds with Zwei. The thought made her heart melt.

"All of those, and _more_." Ren replied, adding those bits in the end to give the cat the 'Wow' factor.

It was official. This guy was cool, and so was his cat. She made friends with a person this cool.

Best day ever!

Squealing in delight, she talked with the Ren for who knows how long. They took their time walking, and when she finally was at her room it was night time. Opening her door, Ruby was greeted with the sight of her teammates, all staring at her with curiosity.

"Well someone looks happy. What's up?" Yang grinned, a glint in her eyes that made Ruby suspicious. It was the _Yang_ look. A look that she was given only by her sister or her dad whenever a certain topic was brought up.

 _Boys._

"Don't ruin it." Ruby said, climbing to her bed to get some rest, changing into her PJ's with her semblance. Ignoring Yang's question as she begun closing her eyes.

' _Blissful sleep here I come.'_ In three seconds she would be asleep, in two she would-

"Hey~, don't be like that. Don't leave me _Yang-ing._ "

She hated her sister sometimes. This was one of those times.

"Blake, help me~!" Ruby cried, throwing her pillow at Yang to silence the offender.

"Nope." Blake replied, flipping the page in her book. It apparently got to the good part, since she put her hand to her a mouth, a scandalize look on her face.

' _Thank you, Blake. Glad to know I'm less important than that book.'_

What are you so happy about anyways, Ruby?" Weiss asked.

Time to boast her accomplishments.

"Well~, I made a new friend AND he's going to tutor me. And he's nice, unlike you. And cool, unlike Jaune. _And_ I didn't _explode_!" Ruby haughtily said, standing on her bed as she looked down on the peons.

Until her pillow was thrown back at her, courtesy of her wonderful sister.

"You mean Ren Amamiya, right? He really helped us out back there… Blake said, referring to Glynda's class. "I wonder what he's like. He's the only person in school without a team."

"He seems quiet, but he's pretty intense. Trust me, I know." Weiss added.

Yang put her hand on her heart, mock mortified by Weiss' description "Oh, did Ice queen and T.A get into a fight? Weiss~, I didn't think you had it in you."

"No, you dunce, it's nothing like that. I… He sort of set me straight after Professor Port's class."

"Wait, _he_ set _you_ straight? That guy?"

Ruby watched Weiss's face turn red, the heiress stomping her feet in annoyance at Yang. "I've had enough of your poking, I'm going to bed." The heiress said. As if pulling trigger, all of them started turning over for the day, preparing for the next.

Ruby, being the last to fall asleep, laid on her back, thoughts of the day rushing back to her. Her new friend on her mind.

' _I wonder if we could hang out sometimes…'_

* * *

Returning to his room, Ren quickly changed into his workout clothes; a simple black sweat jacket and matching sweat pants. Summoning his knife and inspecting it, Ren checked to make sure no nicks or scratches stained the blade. Satisfied, he put it back into his inventory, before opening the door to leave.

"Are you going to train tonight?" Morgana asked, exiting the bathroom, the sound of the toilet flushing from it.

"Yeah. I'm going to get a better handle on using some of the persona's attacks without them. Some of the techniques are a little too strong to be used on people; I'm going to change that."

"Well, good luck with that. I'm going to go to bed, make sure you don't stay up too late, you hear?"

"Yes, Mom."

With their exchange done, Ren walked out his room. Heading to the emerald forest, he was about to pass team JNPR's and RWBY's room but stopped when he saw JNPR's door open. A team leader walking out of the room.

"Jaune?"

"Ren? I mean, Renren?

"What are you doing up so late?" Ren questioned, ignoring the nickname as he did. JNPR's leader was wearing his armor, which meant he was going out to do something. Training, if he had to guess.

"Oh… y-y'know just… out to get a midnight snack…?"

"In your armor?" Ren deadpanned, not believing the guy could lie so badly. "You're going out to train, aren't you? I planned on doing the same. Want to join me?"

Blinking in surprise, Jaune froze, his hands going up in front of him. "I-uh, well you see…umm-"

"Just come with me." Ren sighed, getting straight to the point with the leader. Walking to the locker room, Ren glanced to the nervous looking leader. "What do you plan on working on?"

Not answering his question, Jaune looked down, following Ren as he did so. After a while, the blond finally spoke, his voice cracking as he told Ren.

"…Everything…"

Pausing to process the information, Ren looked at the guy to get a better read on him. Meek, nervous, unconfident, awkward body movements…

The guy reminded him of Mishima, except Mishima had some confidence in himself.

Picking his words wisely, Ren looked at the leader, who was now twiddling fingers. His conscious screaming at him, Ren opened his mouth and spoke to Jaune, his next few words commanding, yet gentle.

"Then I suppose we better get started. Grab your equipment and meet me at the cliffside, I'll be waiting there."

"Got it."

Ren watched the guy move to the locker room, chuckling a bit when he saw him crashed into the corner. Making his way to the cliffside, Ren wondered how experienced the guy was with his weapons; a sword and a shield if he remembers correctly.

Now waiting at the cliffside, Ren saw Jaune running towards him. Observing his movements, Ren noticed how clumsily he ran, how every movement he made was inefficient, awkward.

It was sort of like watching Ryuji at the beginning of their adventure, except Ryuji knew how to move properly, just couldn't. Jaune though… Jaune looked like he was fresh out the oven, no experience with his armor or how to hold a weapon properly.

It was like watching a civilian.

Narrowing his eyes, Ren could already deduce that Jaune _was_ a civilian, a recently turned hunter-in-training. It didn't take much to tell, when you were as good as himself, it was quite easy to differentiate someone who knew how to fight, and one who didn't.

Jaune didn't know how to fight. Not properly that is.

Ren would have to change that.

His goal for the night changing, Ren wondered what he would have to improve with the boy. Footwork was a must; you can't trip during a fight, how to handle a blade was also important…

There was a lot of things they would have to cover.

Rubbing the back of his head, Ren thought long and hard on what they would need to work on, the list expanding as time went on. Turning his body to fully face Jaune, Ren steeled his eyes and opened his mouth.

"Show me what you're capable of."

* * *

Jaune swung his sword down with both hands. The slash capable of decapitating a beowolf in half.

Only for Ren to side step it, completely avoiding the finishing move.

"You're too obvious and slow." Ren scolded. "Don't go for a strong blow like that, it makes you vulnerable. Again, but this time keep your sword in front of you. Keep attacking with light slashes."

Listening to the what his impromptu teacher said, Jaune tightened the grip of his sword, holding it with his right hand. Not too tight, yet not too loose; he was lectured earlier about that.

Going at it again, Jaune slashed at Ren, this time light slashes instead of heavy ones. Ren avoided his strikes, but the small smile on Ren's face told Jaune all he needed to know.

He was learning.

"Focus!"

"Huh?"

And then Jaune tripped, having been too distracted with that single thought that he fell forward.

 _Progress._

"Focus on your opponent. Don't just swing your sword at me. Plan your attack."

"Y-yeah."

Ren offered his hand to the downed Jaune, which he gratefully accepted. Getting pulled up, Jaune looked at the guy who was training with him.

Training him. To be more precise.

They've been going at it for an hour now. Jaune swinging his sword, then Ren giving him advice when he saw something bad. Every single time they stopped, Ren would tell him what he would need to do next, what he wanted him to improve on.

He was gentle, yet stern. Not letting Jaune relax a single moment but not pushing him too hard.

Ren was setting a pace for him, giving him time to breath.

Jaune was really grateful for it.

Pulling a bottle of water out of nowhere, Ren threw it at Jaune. Clumsily catching the drink, Jaune opened it and downed it in one go. "Oh, that hits the spot." Jaune said, sighing in pleasure as the cold drink made its way through his body.

He was thirsty as hell. Training was hard, especially with this guy. The dude had an infinite amount of stamina, not even fazed after dodging like a mad man.

It was like Ren could see through his every move, that his mind worked on a whole other level when battling.

The guy was so cool.

"Ready to go again?" Ren asked as he stood. "This time I'll block your attacks. Remember everything I told you, you'll be using it all." A knife going down his sleeve for him to grab, Jaune couldn't help but think that Ren hid his weapon like his teammate Lie Ren.

"Alright." Jaune stood, his sword ready. "You sure about this?"

"Come at me and you'll see."

Taking the challenge given, Jaune ran towards Ren with his blade. Jaune swung, and Ren blocked. The two repeating the actions over and over.

Not once had Jaune been able to push him back from his position. It was Jaune being pushed back a few meters back, every single time.

It was kind of frustrating how far apart their skills were.

"Your attacks are good, but your stance isn't. Have you ever done any footwork before? Dancing, rollerblading, anything that made you move?"

"Ummm…Well I-" Jaune began, hesitating to answer Ren's question. "I sort of learned how to dance thanks to my sisters."

"Then use that as reference. Feet apart, not too close, but not too far apart. Keep balance. You don't need to do any fancy moves that everyone else can do. Right now, just swing your sword. We'll work on more complicated movement another day."

Taking his advice to heart, Jaune took his stance. Feet apart, balanced, and not over extending too far, just like a dance. Running towards Ren once more, his strike was blocked, but this time he was not pushed back. The blades of the two going into a deadlock, just at the base.

Jaune couldn't help but smile at what he had done, surprised that his dance lessons could be used to fight. Who knew that simple things such as that could make such a difference. Jaune didn't

"Good. Keep at it. Don't hesitate with your strikes, if you do, you'll give your opponent an opening."

"Okay."

And with that they continued, Jaune going into the offensive, while Ren blocked his strikes. Soon enough, Jaune became comfortable with his strikes, never once slowing down, but not needlessly speeding up.

Jaune felt like he was actually getting better.

However, stamina was something Jaune needed to work on in the future. 20 minutes into their exercise and he was out of breath, taking huge intakes of air in order to compensate his body. Soon enough, Jaune stopped swinging his sword, he hands now on his knees to support himself.

"That's enough for today. No good will come if you push yourself too hard." Ren said, his blade now disappearing from his hand. Jaune was sure he was going delusional from that sight.

' _I really pushed myself that hard, huh.'_

Grabbing his shield, his arms feeling like jelly from the weight of it. Jaune collapsed it and sheathed his sword, putting it on his belt to hang, his body burning from the simple actions.

' _I really am out of shape…aren't I?'_

"Not really, you're just training really hard." Ren answered, answering Jaune's thought as he walked towards the tired knight. Throwing another water bottle at Jaune, he watched the knight chug it down.

"Thanks."

"No problem."

"No really, _Thanks._ " Jaune earnestly said. "I don't think I would've gotten anywhere without your help."

"Why not ask your teammates?"

"Umm… well that's because-"

"You don't want to waste their time training your clumsy butt. Or is it because you don't want to seem like a damsel in distress?" Ren said, his glasses hiding his eyes behind their shine.

"…Yeah." Jaune weakly replied, not believing the guy had read him so easily. Looking anywhere but at Ren, Jaune focused in on his sword, the object reminding him of what he wanted to be, who he wanted to be.

' _I'm still not good enough.'_

"And you won't ever be if you keep that shitty way of thinking." Ren said, making Jaune flinch at his language. "You do realize a team is there to help and support you right? I doubt Pyrrha would appreciate it if you said that to her."

Unsure of what to say to the guy, Jaune just kept silent, avoiding Ren's burning gaze. The guy read him like a book, it was actually starting to creep him out.

"Every Wednesday and Thursday evening come out here. I'll help you train. Keep it a secret from your teammate if you wish." Ren proposed. Walking up to Jaune, he put his hand on his reassuringly. "Your teammates are there to help you. Don't let some silly pride stop you from getting better."

Jaune looked down at the ground, his fists clenched. Thinking of how he wanted to do this on his own but knowing that he couldn't do such a thing without a miracle, he questioned himself on what to do.

' _I guess I'll always need some help. In the end I really am just a failure.'_

"Then stop being a failure."

"Huh?!"

"Are you just going to stand around being a nobody all day, or are you going to change that. You're here at Beacon to be a hunter, so start acting like it." Ren said, walking away as his words shook Jaune. "If you're tired of being a failure, then change it. Only you can do that."

Turning his body to look at Ren, Jaune looked at his retreating figure. Confident, strong, determined… He was everything Jaune wanted to be. Someone capable of becoming a hunter; a hero.

Jaune watched him leave, already halfway to the locker rooms.

But was determined to catch up to him.

Sprinting to catch up to Ren, he slowed down to walk beside him, his breaths heavy and long. "Please help me train!"

"It won't be easy." Ren said, not missing a beat, his eyes cold yet a fire behind them. "You think you can keep up?"

Jaune's eyes hardened, his gaze never wavering. "Yeah. Whatever it takes. I'm done with being a loser."

A smirk now appearing on Ren's face, a glint in his eyes that Jaune couldn't identify.

"Wednesday and Thursday evenings. It's up to you to fill the time between them. I won't go easy on you." With that said, Ren raised his hand for, which Jaune eagerly took.

The two shaked on it. An agreement made between the two. With that done, they made their way to their rooms. Jaune asking Ren for what he needed to improve on, and mentally taking notes to write down for future reference along the way.

After reaching his room, Jaune opened the door to the sight of Lie Ren and Nora sleeping. Ren sleeping silently, while Nora was punching the air. The only one not asleep was his partner, Pyrrha, sitting on her bed with a scowl on her face.

"Jaune. Where have you been? It's already 1." Pyrrha scolded, her eyes narrowing at her teammate. Standing up, she was about to reprimand him that they had classes later in the day, but was interrupted when Jaune took her hands, placing them between his owns. His body close to hers that she could feel the warmth he radiated.

Jaune couldn't help but her body going rigid at the contact, her eye shadowed as she looked down. A small red blush on her face.

Did he smell?

"Pyrrha." Jaune said, gaining her full attention. When she looked straight at his eyes he opened his mouth once more, asking her the question he wanted to ask her since initiation.

"Will you help me get better? Please?"

"I would love to, Jaune." Pyrrha smiled, giving him an adoring look as she answered him. "Where were you anyways?"

"Just training with a friend. I'll explain everything tomorrow." Jaune told her, letting go of her hands and getting ready for bed. Never once turning back to look at Pyrrha.

A shame he didn't get to see his partner lick her lips, a predatory smile on her face. Her eyes never leaving his form.

' _I'll become a hunter. I promise.'_ Jaune thought, changing into shorts and a t-shirt, too hot to wear his onesie.

Taking a glance at his partner, unaware of her own stare at him. Jaune thought of one more thing, something small yet so very important.

 _'Was Pyrrha always that cute...?'_


	11. Some coffee, jealousy, and a cat

**AN**

 **I lost several chapters the day I posted the previous one. I apologize for making you wait for this update when I said I would post it the next day.**

 **Me don't own anything, hope you like.**

* * *

Two weeks.

Two weeks had passed since Ren became Glynda's assistant, Ruby's tutor, and Jaune's trainer.

Surprisingly, nothing troublesome had happened in that time frame. Besides a few dust explosions courtesy of Yang and Nora, Ruby's constant insistence to hang out despite needing to finish her homework, and Jaune's unhealthy drive to get better, everything was just fine.

Is what he wanted to say. But Ren knew that wasn't the case.

Two week of school and there were no signs of distortions within the city of Vale. There were no news announcements about odd occurrences regarding the supernatural, no appearances of red-black vortexes appearing in the sky, and no signs of shadows. Perhaps he was in the wrong kingdom, but that probably wasn't the case.

It was frustrating. He couldn't get the job done as quick as possible like he had back at home. Not to mention he had no idea where the distortions even came from, who or whatever it was causing them a mystery waiting to be solved.

He had gone to the Velvet room several times to see if Igor or Lavenza had any information but was met with disappointment. Not to mention the ire of the ruler of power, the attendant of the room pouty and upset at him for visiting them once that first week. She had been staring at him like that the entire time they were in the room, not bothering to hide her feelings of displeasure when he was about to leave them.

" _Lavenza… If you really want to see me so badly you can just leave the room to visit. I doubt Igor would stop you since you already did it once. I'll show you around the city of Vale and the school if you do. There is no need to wait for me to come, I am just a door away. Literally."_ Ren said to her back then, her face lighting up like a Christmas tree when he had offered that to her.

Focusing back to reality, Ren decided to wait for any news of the distortions. He could always head to the city at night to investigate, but he doubted that he would find anything. Morgana was much more suited for gathering intel than he was, and as such he would leave it to the cat. Right now, he needed to pay attention to his school life, and seem like a regular student. A regular, monster-killing student.

Walking out of Glynda's class, having finished helping her grade some papers, Ren strolled down the hall wondering what he would do for the rest of the afternoon. Morgana had decided to leave him for Glynda, the little scamp infatuated with her, which meant he was now alone.

' _What can I do until Jaune's training tonight…'_ Ren thought.

He had finished his homework, studied, read his books, and experimented with enough dust that he was sure that it was now flowing through his blood stream. He had free time and for once he didn't know what to do with it.

"Hey~! You free right now, Mr. T.A?" Someone teased, snapping Ren out of his thoughts. Turn to face whoever had called him, Ren was greeted to the sight of a smirking, beret and sunglasses wearing girl.

"Coco?"

"The one and only. Me and my team were planning on grabbing a bite, wanna come with?" Coco offered, a sly smile on her face, a glint in her eye that made Ren shiver for some reason.

He couldn't help but feel like he was merchandise to the fashionista.

"My team and I." Ren corrected. "And sure. I don't see why not."

"Don't be a nerd."

"Fix your grammar and I won't have to." Ren playfully bit back. His smile matching hers.

"Oooooh, feisty~. I like that." Coco said, before turning around and walking towards the dining hall. Waving her hand, she beckoned Ren to follow.

He walked beside her, the two bantering with one another as they made their way to their destination. Ren quickly got used to her confident attitude, her teasing countered by his own, which seemed to please the leader of CFVY.

Opening the door to the cafeteria for Coco, she tilted her sunglasses to look at him directly, whispering a quick thank you for the act. "You know, not many people can keep up with _this_." She gestured to herself. "I'm impressed." Walking over to the table with her team on it, she took a seat, patting the space beside her for him to take one as well. "These are my teammates: Fox and Yatsuhashi. Velvet is probably getting some food for herself. Be nice to them, okay?"

"It's nice to meet you all. Outside of class that is." Ren said, bowing his head slightly.

"Indeed" The two males replied.

"Where's Velvet?" Coco asked, looking around the room for the bunny faunus. "She went to grab a bite?"

"Yes. She was going to grab something for you as well." Yatsuhashi answered. "Of course, I don't see why she is taking so long." He added, concern on his face for his partner."

"She's probably just getting something I like. I am kind of picky after all."

"If that's the case she would've already been here already…" Fox said. His eyes closed, face apprehensive.

Coco, annoyed with her teammates lack of action despite their worries, stood up. "Alright, if none of you are going to look for her I will. I'm telling you she's -."

"Ow! Please, stop!" A voice begged, causing Coco, Yatsuhashi, and Fox to freeze. Slowly looking to where they heard the all too familiar voice of their teammate, they saw team CRDL harassing the girl. Cardin Winchester pulling her ears, while his teammates mocked her, making mock ears with fingers and calling her "Freak" and "Loser" loud enough for them to hear.

"Those sons of bitches. I'm going to end their lives right here and now." Coco declared. "Don't you dare try to stop me you two. 'Violence isn't the answer' my ass."

Ren watched Coco stomp her way over to the commotion, cracking her knuckles and removing her sunglasses in preparations for the bloodbath to come.

' _As much as I want her to beat the hell out of them, I know she'll take it too far.'_ Ren thought. _'Guess I'm going to intervene.'_

Standing up from his seat, Fox and Yatsuhashi looked at him, wondering what he was going to do. Without giving them a moment, Ren moved in a burst of speed, moving so fast that he looked like he disappeared. He crossed the room in a silent instant, appearing right before Cardin, and grabbing the hand which held onto Velvet's ears. Gripping the wrist hard enough that Cardin cried out in pain, Ren glared at boy with burning eyes and a scowl. His hand tightening even harder as he looked down at the now kneeling bully.

"I'm only going to say this once." Ren stated, his eyes burning vengeance, but his voice cold as ice. "If I see you so much as bully **anyone** , I'll break your hands and legs and feed you to the grimm." Emphasizing his point, he let out a bit of his power, making CRDL tremble at how heavy the air had gotten.

They couldn't breathe for some reason, and it was as if they were looking at a monster.

" _ **Do I make myself clear?"**_ Ren said, letting his power fade so that they could make a coherent response. One by one they nodded, Cardin scrambling to his feet and holding his hurting wrist, before running off with his team. Ren watched them flee out of the dining hall in fear, never looking back. With them gone, he looked over to Velvet Scarlatina and analyzed her, checking for any wounds that the bullies may have inflicted.

"Are you okay?" He asked. His demeanor changing to a kind one.

"Y-yeah. Thanks for driving them off… You didn't have to scare them like though…"

"If I didn't they would have kept coming for you. I can't let that happen. Besides…" Without missing a beat Ren pointed his thumb to Coco, the girl making her way to them."Your team leader would've done _much_ worse to them."

"Yeah, that would've been worse actually." Velvet slumped, her ears drooping a bit from the truth behind his words.

Soon enough, Coco walked up to the two and checked over Velvet. Confirming that she was fine, she let out a sigh of relief, before glaring at Ren for beating her to the punch.

"I had that."

"You would've caused permanent damage. As much as I agree with teaching them a lesson, I don't think leaving them to drown in their own bodily fluids would've been a good idea."

Glancing around, Ren noticed everyone was looking at them, whispers spreading across the room. Noticing Velvet's discomfort from the gossip, Ren started walking to the exit which he and Coco came from, gesturing the two girls to follow. Looking over to where the other members of CFVY were, Ren also waved at them to come.

"We're causing a scene, we'll talk about this somewhere else." Ren said, looking over to Velvet, hoping she understood what he actually meant.

' _You don't want the attention, Let's get away from here.'_

Soon enough, Ren and CFVY walked out of the cafeteria, and eventually sat in the library. Now situated at a table in the corner so no one would bother them.

"You are making it really hard to pay you back, you know? I was going to treat you to dinner, but you just had to save my teammate this time." Coco despaired, her head resting on her hand as she looked at him. "Now I owe you two. Could you stop before my debt goes any higher?"

"What she means to say is 'Thank you' for helping Velvet." Yatsuhashi clarified, now reading a book he had found. "You are quite fast. Is that your semblance?" He added, remembering that Ren had disappeared from the table.

"No, it isn't" Ren said. "I just learned to be quick on my feet."

"Then that is even more impressive."

I'm not surprised that you saved Coco then." Fox interjected, approving of what Ren had done. "Glynda didn't say much, but from what we heard you just appeared in front of a death stalker to save her."

"I plead guilty." Ren joked, causing the others to chuckle. Except for Velvet, who had stayed silent the entire time. Her eyes much more interested at the table than her company. "Is something wrong Velvet?"

She looked up at him, startled out of her thoughts, shaking her head as she replied. "No. Nothing is wrong but…" She hesitated to speak, her eyes looking anywhere but the people she was with. "I don't think it was a good idea to help me. With me being a Faunus and all…" Velvet whispered, her words barely audible in the end. However, everyone heard what she said, their reactions varying, but the same in the end.

"Velvet…" Coco, Fox, and Yatsuhashi said, looking concerned for their teammate. They were about to tell her that she shouldn't think like that, but someone beat them to the punch.

"I don't care."

"What…?" Velvet said, tilting her head in confusion at what he said.

"I don't care. Human or Faunus, it doesn't matter to me. I'll save those who are in need; those that society has abandoned, and the world has done wrong. I won't stand by and let others be harmed just because of an individual's warped personality." Ren explained, his eyes never once looking away from Velvet. "You needed to be helped, and I helped you. I could care less about what everyone else had to say."

"Even if people call me an animal or a freak?" Velvet asked quietly, unsure of what else to say to Ren. Her insecurities of her heritage clouding her judgement on the matter.

"Even if god called you that, I would personally send a bullet through his head if it meant proving him wrong." Ren joked. Half joked at least. He would really shoot a god in the face if he had to.

Velvet looked at him with surprise in her eyes, flattered by what he had said apparently. She looked down and paused for a while. Her eyes were shadowed by her hair, and her body motionless. Ren couldn't help but become a little nervous.

' _Did I say the wrong thing?'_

"Pfffft…"

She began snickering, doing her best to hold in her laugh that she put her hand to her mouth to stop herself. However, she couldn't hold it in any longer and went into a full-blown laugh, surprising the group. Her eyes shined with mirth, and the smile on her face was the complete opposite of the sad frown she had before.

Satisfied by her reaction, Ren watched the girl let it all out, a little unnerved by the sudden change in character. That was his thing, not hers. He was glad however, happy to know that he made the girl feel better than before, and that she could laugh off the problem. Ren honestly thought he had done good for the girl, having said the right things to her and all.

Or maybe he said the wrong things. She looked up at him, eyes shined with mischief. She had a teasing/mocking smile on her face, which were giving him bad vibes. It was the same kind of feeling he had when he fused a **Mara** together; the birth of a monster that should not have been.

What had he done?

"You're weird." Velvet said in between her laughs. Her quiet and timid personality disappearing entirely. "What kind of guy even says that? You get that from a movie or something?"

Surprised by the sudden change of heart, Ren shrugged his shoulders. "Oh? You're the one who asked. I thought every girl wanted a guy to say something as romantic as that."

"Not if it was as lame as that!" Velvet cried out, trying her best once more not to laugh from the memory.

"At least give me some points for trying."

"Points only go out for those who did a good job."

"Oh, c'mon!"

The two of them began to playfully pick at one another. Velvet poking fun at him, while he defended himself from her onslaught. The heavy atmosphere gone in an instant, now replaced with an easy going one. Coco and Fox looked at them as if they were crazy, while Yatsuhashi continued reading his book, a smile hidden behind it. Soon enough, the rest of team CFVY joined the conversation. The sounds of laughter ringing throughout the library, dinner long forgotten, the teens too busy to care.

Looking at his scroll, Ren noticed it was about time to meet with Jaune, already was it night time. "I'd love to stay and chat, maybe get abused a bit more with Ms. Scarlatina's witty remarks, but I have to go." Ren said to them, picking up his bag as he prepared to leave.

"Leaving so soon, Mr. Show-off?" Velvet dryly said. "Cat got your tongue?"

"More like rabbit." Ren quipped, his glasses shining at his comment. "You're awfully scary for someone so timid."

"That's your fault." Velvet smirked at him. "When someone says something like that, how else are you supposed to respond? Am I supposed to swoon? Yeah right."

"It certainly would've helped my ego."

"That's already inflated enough. Your little demonstrations in dust class more than enough proof. Thanks for help in that class, by the way."

"I plead the fifth, and you're welcome. I knew I was helping you."

"See? Your ego's already huge."

Chuckling, Ren said his farewells to team CFVY, the abuse from the rabbit girl just _too_ much for his heart to handle. It was only when he was almost out of sight did Velvet decide to yell something at him, the tone of her voice no longer playful, but sincere.

"Hey Ren!" Looking back at her, he waited for what she had to say. "Thanks… for helping and cheering me up earlier. I really needed it."

Giving her a thumbs up as his way of taking her thanks, Ren left CFVY to their devices, mentally preparing himself for his training with Jaune. They were going to work on his defense tonight. Jaune's defeat in combat class revealing the glaring weakness.

"Maybe it's time I tried using him as a guinea pig…" Ren said out loud, contemplating practice his persona's skills on Jaune.

That didn't sound like a bad idea… Who was he kidding, it was a horrible idea.

He needed someone stronger and more durable than him.

But who?

* * *

Once he was out of the library, Velvet looked over to her leader, the sunglasses wearing girl staring at where she had last saw him. Raising her eyebrow at the detached look of her leader, she nudged the poor girl lost in thought, a smile making its way on her lips as she revealed her leader's secret.

"I can't believe you have a crush on that guy."

"Wha-?! Velvet?!"

"Did you really not expect us to not see you going head over heels when he talked. _"Even if god called you that, I would personally send a bullet through his head if it meant proving him wrong"_ oh my god you were absolutely swooning when he said that." Exposing poor Coco, Velvet pointed at her male teammates. "Everyone here already knows too, so you don't have to worry."

"Yep." Fox said.

"Indeed." Yatsuhashi confirmed.

Watching her leader's face change to horror, Velvet witnessed the fashionista crash her head onto the table, a groan escaping the minigun wielding girl.

"I'm starting to like it better when you were meeker."

Laughing at her team leader's expense, Velvet gave a huge smile to her, taking out her camera to commemorate her leader's defeat. The cries of "Don't you dare!" from Coco rang through the air as Velvet ran away from her after taking the shot.

' _You really are a nice guy, Ren. You sounded like a hero back then…'_ Velvet thought, remembering his little monologue. Staring at her flustered leader, Velvet couldn't help but think of the perfect way to repay him for his help.

After all, wasn't it a guy's dream to hook up with a pretty girl?

' _Hope you don't mind some meddling, Coco.'_

* * *

"Never lose sight of the person attacking you. I don't personally have any experience with shields, but if you can see an enemy attack, the more likely you can block it." Ren shouted, ready to pounce at the now ready knight.

"Okay!"

Swinging his blade slow enough for Jaune to see, but fast enough that it felt like he was actually going to attack, he aimed for Jaune's head. However, Jaune did as he was told and kept an eye on his attack and brought his shield up to block it. The shield did its job to block, but Jaune wasn't grounded well enough. The knight flew and landed on his bottom, causing Ren to wince at the clear wipe out.

' _Ouch.'_

"Forgot to square myself, got to work on that." Jaune scolded himself, quickly getting up despite the pain. "Let's go again, I'll get it right this time."

Surprised with his assertiveness, Ren raised his eyebrow. "You're awfully motivated. I saw you study pretty hard in the library the past few days, something happened?"

"Yeah… Losing to Cardin pissed me off." And with that they continued, Jaune now training with his shield, while Ren began channeling a tenth of his persona's skills into his knife, training himself to hold back.

"Now, instead of just blocking, push your shield to meet my strike. It'll cause their weapon to be pushed back. Use that small opening to counter." Ren said, swinging his knife while pushing a portion of _**brave blade's**_ power into his knife, causing it to glow slightly. Not wanting to break his friend in two, Ren swung lightly at him. The knife met the shield, and to his pleasure, Ren's blade was knocked back slightly. His little experiment a success, he watched Jaune swing his blade at him, intending on getting a good strike in.

Not bad, but he wasn't quick enough.

Throwing his knife from his right hand to his left, Ren blocked the attack, blades the screeching of colliding blades filling the cliffside. His little stunt surprised Jaune, but the leader of JNPR quickly recovered and backed up.

They repeated this again, but Jaune did something slightly different. Instead of using his sword to counter after blocking, he had opted to try using his shield to counter attack. Surprised by the sudden change, Ren stepped back and avoided the blow.

"Neat trick. Where'd you learn it?" Ren asked, curious as to where the knight had happened upon the technique. Sure, it was a basic skill, but Jaune looked like he was taught it, and properly too if Ren had to guess.

"Pyrrha helps me train and study whenever we have free time. She's been training me like a horse since I asked her. She's amazing" Jaune explained, complimenting her partner with gusto. "Don't tell her this, but you're a better teacher than she is."

"Is that so, Jaune?" A female's voice said, sounding eerie and slightly annoyed. The males jumped in surprise from the sudden appearance, their blades ready to strike. Until Jaune processed the voice, that is.

"Pyrrha? Didn't you say you were going to bed?"

From behind a tree, Pyrrha Nikos revealed herself to them, a smile on her face betraying the look in her eyes. Garbed in her school uniform, despite it being middle of the night, Ren could tell she meant business. The way she looked at them being a dead give away.

"I was just taking a stroll, when I just so happened to see you two training." She said cheerfully, a web of words being her trap. "What did you say about _**Amamiya**_ being a better teacher?"

Warning alarms were set off in Ren's head, the venom in her words clear as day. _'Jaune, for your safety and mine, I need you to choose your words wisely. This is not something we can win against.'_ Ren internally screamed hoping the looks he was giving the knight would get him to understand.

It didn't, obviously.

"Oh, its just that Ren instructs things better than you do." Jaune answered, making want to rip his hair out "The guy's really good at telling me how to improve. And even though you help me all the time, I can't help but go to him for some advice. He's really reliable after all."

"I see…" Pyrrha whispered, her eyes cold and focused on Ren's body. "Jaune, can I please speak to Amamiya for a moment? I need to ask him about our dust assignment."

"Didn't you already finish that Pyrrha? I don't-"

"Jaune. Go to your room." Pyrrha commanded. The glare on her face leaving no room for argument.

"O-Okay…?"

Ren silently begged Jaune to grow a spine and not to leave him alone with the red-head. Of course, his begging would be for nothing, as the knight said his goodbyes and retreated, ending their training session an hour early. With Ren and Pyrrha now being the only people on the cliffside, Ren cautiously watched the girl, making sure his back was never facing her.

He had a feeling he would be pushed off the cliff if he did.

"I really have to thank you. Jaune told me it was you who told him to ask for help." Pyrrha started, her eyes never once leaving his own. "I don't think he would have opened up to me if you hadn't done that. So, thank you."

"It's no problem." Ren said slowly. "Is there anything else you need?"

"Nope… Oh, actually there is!" Pyrrha said, clapping her hands as she gave him a disarming smile. "Jaune will only train with you on Thursday nights from now on. We have combat classes tomorrow, so I want him to be at one hundred percent when he fights."

"Did you get his permission?"

"Nope. But I'm sure he'll listen to _me_ if I explained it to him." Pyrrha answered. Her smile slowly morphing into a sneer. "Is that a problem?"

Ren did not answer her question. He only looked at the girl with a deadpan expression on his face. He could tell what she really meant, why she was doing this. Ren just hadn't expected her to be so… upfront about it.

He knew what the girl felt for Jaune. The bedroom eye look she gave her partner almost always being there. She actively sought out her partner, trying her best to spend every damn minute with him. Ren saw the looks she gave the blond goof, the small intimate gestures she gave, the way she seemed to brighten up whenever Jaune talked to her…

Pyrrha was infatuated with Jaune. The girl was head over heels for her team leader, wanting him all to herself. So, why did she want to cut off a day of his training with Ren if-

' _Oh…"_ Ren thought, surprised that he had overlooked the obvious answer.

She was jealous of him. Jealous that Jaune was spending time with someone else other than her. Now that Ren thought about, he was sure that every time Jaune came up to him that there were a set of eyes glaring him down from afar. And Ren was pretty sure that just recently, the girl would treat him a little colder than at the start of the semester.

' _Really, Pyrrha? This is how you want to play?'_

"Hmmm… okay. I suppose we'll just need to move Jaune's training to Friday or Saturday.." Ren said out loud, hoping to get a reaction out of the girl. Sure enough, Pyrrha scowled at what he said, her eyes narrowing dangerously at him.

"I'm afraid that isn't possible. Jaune and I train together those days."

"Perhaps I could join you two. I'm sure Jaune would gladly let me help with his training." Ren said, a glint in his eyes as he suggested the idea.

Pyrrha didn't like that idea, apparently. The expression on her face amazing Ren. He smirked at her, and she glared at him. Lightning sparked between the two, neither backing down from one another. What felt like an eternity was ended by Pyrrha, her sigh ending their stalemate.

"I don't like you." She began. "Jaune won't be training with you on Wednesday,, only Thursdays. That is final."

"Relax. I'm not trying to steal your love interest or anything." Ren declared, mirth in every word of his sentence. "Jealousy is unbecoming, after all."

"I'm not jealous." She says all too quickly, her cheeks reddening a bit. "I just want to be closer with Jau- I mean, I want what's best for JNPR. The best for JNPR."

"Sure." Ren drawled, before getting serious. "Would you like some help?"

"Help?"

"Would you like some help with Jaune, I mean." Ren clarified. No longer was he playing. "Look. You clearly like the guy, and by the looks of it, you can't bring it to yourself to ask him out, despite your… blunt way of doing things. I'll act as your little spy, and slowly push him towards you. In return, I ask that you not interfere with our training, and maybe even join occasionally. I don't use the same weapon as he does, so you coming to our sessions would greatly help."

"And what makes you think I'll accept? You think I can't win him over by myself?" Pyrrha questioned, annoyed that he was implying she couldn't woo Jaune on her own. "Sorry to say, but I think I have a pretty good chance on my own."

She emphasized her point by putting a hand on her hip, a seductive smirk on her face. If Ren was a lesser man he would've blushed at her display, however he just smirked back at her, knowing something that would make her confidence shatter.

"You say that, but if I remember correctly our resident knight is pawning over a certain _snow angel_." Ren taunted. The champion eyes widened a bit and looked away from him, her tongue clicking in annoyance.

"There's more to this." Pyrrha deduced. "Everything you said benefitted Jaune and I; none of it benefitted you. What are you aiming for?"

"Sharp." Complimenting the spartan, Ren looked at her with fire in his eyes. "I want to try using some techniques of my own on a person. Jaune can't handle them; I'd injure him if I tried. I need someone more durable, and what better way to test them than on the _'undefeated champion.'_ " Ren said, causing Pyrrha to narrow her eyes at his little quote.

The two of them stared each other down. One waiting for an answer, the other contemplating the deal. However, Ren's proposal seemed to interest her.

"I accept." Pyrrha said. A smile on her face now after coming to a conclusion. "I'll help you with your little _techniques_ , and you help me get with Jaune." Her smile changed to something a bit more sinister. "If you don't hold your end of the bargain I'll-"

Ren quickly stopped that sentence. "I will do everything in my legal power to hold my end of the deal."

"Good. I'll be taking my leave then. Have a nice night, Amamiya." And with that she left. The phantom thief being the only person on the cliffside. A single opinion of the spartan being formed in his mind.

"Girl is easily jealous." Ren sighed. "And wants Jaune. _Badly._ I can only pray for the fool who would get in her way… Wait. That's me."

'What did I just rope myself into.. _.'_

* * *

The next day came, and combat classes were being held. Walking inside the amphitheater, Ren took a seat on the stands alongside JNPR and RWBY. Sitting beside Blake, he pulled out a book and began to read a copy of 'The Great Thief'. He had bought all the books that were about his teammates' personas the day after he came home, marking them as his favorites and always keeping them on hand.

"What book is that?" Blake asked, her bow twitching as she stared at him curiously.

"It's a book about a gentleman thief." Ren said. His eyes never leaving the page. "I could lend it to you if you want. I already finished it a long time ago."

"That would be great. I was trying to find something new to read."

"Even though you happened to be reading 'Ninja's of Love' in Glynda's dust class?" Ren softly said to himself, fully aware of the girl's interests of literature. He was not shaming her in anyway, he was just surprised that she had finished the book. The last time he saw her reading, she was only at the beginning, which meant she finished it in just a day.

She must have really liked that genre.

Blushing at him exposing her, Blake looked around with wide eyes hoping that no one had heard what he just said. Thankfully, no one heard him, too busy they were talking amongst themselves. Grabbing the guy's arm, she pulled him so that they were close enough that only he could hear what she was going to say.

"…Don't tell anyone." She said, her eyes and bow twitching frantically. "Please don't tell anyone."

"Calm down, I'm not going to tell anyone. Relax" Ren gently assured, wincing at the grip the girl held him in. "You can let go of me now. Please."

His arm now freed from her confines, he rubbed the appendage. Despite his persona's powers Ren could still be harmed if his life wasn't in mortal danger. His personas only empowered him, and even then, he could still be harmed. Trivial things such as falling of a bed, kitchen burns from cooking, stubbing his toe… all of it hurt. Doesn't matter how tanky his personas were, he was still human. He didn't have a force field like everyone else. He had multiple mythological beings stuffed in his head who strengthened and assisted him during battle. There was a huge difference.

"Sorry." Blake said, scratching her cheek as she looked away from him. Before she could apologize anymore for her actions, Ren closed his book and held it in front of her.

"Here. You wanted to read it, right?" Ren said, which made Blake nod. "Just hand it back to me when you're done. I can lend you some more once you've finished."

Blake, more than happy to receive a new piece of literature, took it from his hands and began to read. Her eyes trained in on the pages, making Ren chuckle a bit, not surprised by the avid reader.

"Thank you." Blake said quickly, before engorging herself in the plot, already halfway through the page as she took in every sentence the book had to offer.

Their little scene done, Ren looked to the center of the now dubbed arena, Glynda standing in the centre of it. Holographic boards appeared, and everyone watched them randomly choose the first fighters of the day, all of them eager to get moving.

The first face that appeared was none other than Cardin Winchester, who walked onto the stage with a smirk on his face. His teammates cheered for him, obnoxiously whooping in laughter when their leader raised his arms like he had already won.

"That guy is such an ass." Jaune said, not bothering to hide his resentment. "I can't believe I lost to _that_ just a week ago."

"Indeed. I just hope whoever is up against him puts up a better fight than you did." Weiss quipped, making Jaune look down in shame.

"There's a rumor about someone stopping him from bullying someone, causing his entire team to retreat in fear. It happened yesterday at the dining hall apparently." Nora added into the conversation, a savage grin on her face. "I don't know who it was, but they should've broken his legs!"

"Nora… the rumor was that he would break his hands and legs." Lie Ren corrected.

"OOOH, EVEN BETTER!"

"Nora…"

"Guys, it's about to show." Ruby excitedly pointed out, causing everyone to look up at the board that determined Cardin's opponent.

Ren watched the screen with bated eyes, hoping that some divine being from above wouldn't put him into the spotlight anymore than he already has.

And then it stopped at his face. His own picture mocking him and his desires.

' _Just great.'_ Ren drawled out, scolding himself for the jinx he had created.

Standing up from his seat, he decided to just go with it, enjoy himself when he beat down the bully.

"OOOH BREAK HIS LEGS REN-REN!" That was Nora. Definitely Nora.

' _I'll also break his hands, but that's something you don't need to know.'_

With that last thought, he leaped into the air and landed silently on the arena just a few metres away from Cardin.

"I'll make you regret what happened yesterday." Cardin said, slapping his mace onto his hand. "Any last words?"

Ren, not even acknowledging the threat, raised his hand. "Professor Goodwitch, I have a request."

"And what is this 'request'?"

Turning his head around to face the now silent teammates of Cardin, Ren gave them a menacing smile, one which made them all visibly shiver. He couldn't help but shake his head, if they got scared by that, then they'll have one hell of a time on the arena.

"May I have the honor of facing team CRDL?" Ren loudly asked, causing everyone in the room to stop talking. He saw Ruby, Jaune and Weiss open their jaws in shock, Nora and Yang giving him a thumbs up and cheering him, Lie Ren shaking his head, and Blake look at him with newfound interest, the book she was reading now closed.

He may as well make it as entertaining for his friends as possible. It was the first match of the day, after all.

"I do not mind; however, is it okay with you, Mr. Winchester?"

"Damn right it is!" Cardin instantly yelled, more than happy to let his teammates to take part in the beating they were supposedly going to dish out. "Russel, Dove, Sky! Get down here! We're going to teach this punk a lesson!"

"HELL YEAH!" They yelled, jumping into the arena and running up to their leader. Ren couldn't help but smile at the sight of them all, lined up beside each other, their weapons out and ready for combat. Completely unaware of their demise.

' _This is going to be fun.'_

Everyone took their positions, and Glynda was about to begin the match. However, someone decided to jump into the arena as well, landing right beside Ren, and causing Glynda to pause for a moment.

"You don't mind if I join, do you?" The intruder asked loud enough for the professor to hear, her bow twitching in excitement as her eyes were focused and ready. A small grin on her face as she readied her weapon.

"The more the merrier." Ren said, smiling at the girl who had decided to crash the party, surprised that she made such a daring move at the last minute.

Blake Belladonna had decided to join the brawl. Unplanned too, if the screams of Ruby and Weiss were anything to go by. Nodding at the cat Faunus, the two of them got ready, the opponents before them doing the same. Their friends cheered, team RWBY screaming to kick butt, while JNPR demanded legs be broken.

"Ren Amamiya and last-minute entry Blake Belladonna vs team CRDL. Standard rules apply." Glynda stated, not even bothered by Blake's sudden intrusion. Ren guessed if he was okay with it then it should be fine. Cardin did the same after all.

Blake stood ready beside him, whispered a few words before the battle began. "You know I didn't expect the person in the rumors to be you, Mr. Hand and Leg Breaker. Didn't think you'd be the one to stand up for a Faunus. Not that I'm complaining."

"If you're surprised by that then get ready, I have a bunch more." Readying his weapon, he looked at his two targets, the both of them beside each other. "I'll take care of Cardin and Dove. Separate them so that they don't back each other up."

Receiving a nod from his teammate, Ren looked at Glynda as she looked at her scroll, her eyes hard and focused as she watched all the participants in the arena.

"Is everyone ready?" No one said a word. "Then…"

"Begin!"

CRDL charged as soon as she said the words, running as fast as their feet could take them. Blake readied herself to counter them, her bladed sheath and katana in her left and right hands respectively.

However, Ren decided to strike first, already beside Dove Bronzewing as he kicked him into Cardin. The two members flying to one side of the arena, groaning as they crashed onto the ground.

"Now then… Who wants to go first?"

* * *

Sky thrusted his halberd at her expecting to get skewered her with it.

Instead, Blake sidestepped his attack, slashed at Sky multiple times, and kicked him across the face. Hard. Watching the boy fall flat on the ground, Blake backflipped to dodge Russel's slashes, his blades just narrowly missing her as she retreated.

"Stop dodging!" Russel cried, annoyed that his slashes always missed her. This only made Blake smile though, her movements becoming even sharper to a frustrate him further.

"Stop missing then." She taunted, making the boy go red. Before Russel could make a comeback, she was already upon him, a flurry of kicks to his face and a giant slash afterwards sending him flying. The groan he made as he crashed made Blake smirk, glad that she was the one to gave him what he deserved.

She didn't like team CRDL. They were a bunch of racists that made the world harder for any Faunus. They were the reason why she hid what she was, why her people had to go through so much pain and suffering for just being alive.

So, when Ren Amamiya had challenged them all to a formal battle, she couldn't resist and jumped onto the arena, wanting a bit of vengeance for her people. She had left the White Fang, but that didn't mean that all their teachings didn't go away from her. She just knew when to use it, and why she shouldn't, remembering never to go overboard just like Adam had.

Watching the two get back up, Blake changed her weapon to a pistol and shot at them. Being the idiots that they were, they charged at her, blocking some of the bullets by either spinning their weapons or slicing at them. Blake couldn't help but wince at their stupidity, wondering how they had gotten into Beacon with that way of fighting.

' _If they were smart, they would've ran opposite from one another, and try to corner me… Instead, they charge like the movies.'_ Blake thought.

' _And people call us animals.'_

Suddenly, Russel leaped, luckily avoiding her bullets as he somersaulted through the air, making himself into a buzz saw with his blades. Knowing full well that blocking would be the wrong move, she jumped out of his way. Allowing Russel to fly past her, Blake had to jump away from Sky's follow up attack, his halberd's bladed edge smashing the ground where she once was.

' _This is getting annoying!'_ Blake screamed in her head, annoyed that with every attack on of them made, another was sure to follow. And while Blake was used to fighting multiple opponents at once, those that she fought were usually Schnee security bots; logical robots that attacked with precision and purpose.

Ruseel and Sky; however, attacked like savages. They swung their weapons around with little grace, hoping that their strikes would hit. While this was easy for her to deal with usually, the problem was it was so uncoordinated and unorganised that she had a hard time predicting where they would aim. It was starting to annoy her, the two on one being much more difficult than she had thought.

Deciding enough was enough, Blake jumped back from their onslaught and countered with her own. Changing Gambol Shroud into a kusarigama, she threw it at them, her weapon now a ranged blade. Swinging the weapon skillfully at Russel and Sky, they took a few blows before flying back, their bodies reuniting with the ground as they let out pained groans.

Glancing at the board that showed their auras, Blake noted that they were now at half, while she was at around seventy still. Somewhat impressed with their reserves, Blake readied her weapon once more, intending to put them in the red and have them out of the match.

Until she saw a glimpse of Cardin and Dove fly past her. Their screams drowning out any noise made in the arena.

"UAAAAAAH!"

"HEEEELP!"

Cardin and Dove flew from behind her, and crashed into Russel and Sky. Team CRDL were now a heap in front of her, pained moans escaping from their mouths, their bodies twitching every now and then. Knowing that the only person responsible could be her temporary teammate, she looked behind her, raising her eyebrow in amusement as she saw the smirk on his face.

"Why'd you bring them here?" Blake asked, matching his smirk with her own. "I thought you said you would deal with them."

"And have all the fun for myself? That would be awfully wasteful, don't you think?" Ren joked, causing her to chuckle just a bit.

"Don't be so dramatic."

Before they could continue their little talk, the sound of metal hitting the ground caused them to look at the recovering team. Cardin and co. were propping themselves up with their weapons, doing their best to stand despite the beating they had been given. Their looks of pure scorn sent their way, Blake couldn't help but release a frustrated sigh, annoyed by their persistence.

" _ **Heat Riser."**_ She heard Ren say. Her body glowed for half a second, and she felt like she grew lighter and stronger for some unknown reason. "Let's end this." He ordered, shooting off at speeds similar to Ruby. Surprised but not wanting to be left behind, she followed him, barely keeping up despite her sudden power up.

CRDL didn't stand a chance. Blake didn't understand what he had done, but she didn't complain. One moment Ren was in front of them, the next he was behind them. His gun pointing at the backs of CRDL, Blake heard the words _**"Triple Down"**_ escape his mouth, before the sound of gunfire filled the air. He had only pulled the trigger once, but for some reason CRDL looked like they were hit three times by cannonballs. Their bodies flying towards her now, Blake threw her pistol at them, skillfully wrapping her ribbon around their bodies, tying them all together.

"Take this!" Blake screamed. With a great show of strength, she spun the team around, before slamming them to the floor, a giant crater forming from the force of the impact.

"Team CRDL has their aura depleted. The match is over." Glynda declared, her eyes staring at the crater just made. "Ms. Belladonna… I didn't know you had that kind of strength." She said, using her semblance to unwrap and put CRDL on the bleachers, fixing the floor at the same time.

"I… didn't know either…?" Blake uncertainly said, unsure of where she had gotten that kind of power. Before she could ask what Ren had done, no doubt his words from earlier doing something to her, Ruby and Yang jumped onto her.

"THAT WAS AMAZING BLAKE!" Ruby complimented, stars replacing her eyes in pure wonder.

"Got to admit, I didn't expect that at all." Yang said, smiling in awe at what her teammate had done.

Soon enough, Weiss and JNPR joined them, all expressing their awe in some kind of way. She couldn't escape their clutches, she tried, but she couldn't. Thankfully, Weiss decided to share her piece on the matter, focusing on Blake's temporary partner instead of her.

"Did you see him fight Cardin and Dove? He was completely playing with them." Weiss said, staring at the board that showed their auras. "He didn't even get hit once."

"He's definitely skilled. Half the time I could barely register what he did." Lie said. "By the way, where is he?"

"Up in the bleachers. Now, would all of you please leave the arena? I have a class to finish." Glynda menacingly asked. Faster than she could blink, RWBY and JNPR were back on the bleachers, all of them whistling an innocent tune.

Blake, disorientated a bit from their sudden movement, looked at Ren who sat beside her. Poking his shoulder to get his attention away from the new book he was reading, she asked him the question she was meaning to ask earlier.

"You said, _**"Heat Riser"**_ and _**"Triple Down"**_ during the match. Did that have anything to do with that extra power I felt?"

"It's a part of my semblance. Certain words hold certain powers." Ren smoothly explained, making her nod in understanding. Semblances were different for everyone, but this was something she had never heard of before, almost similar to Weiss' glyphs.

"That sounds complicated."

"Just as complicated as you, Ms. Faunus." Ren coolly said, flipping the page he was reading as the words left his mouth.

That sentence made her whole-body freeze. There was no malice underneath his words. However, that did not excuse the fact that he knew of _it_ , a secret she tries so hard to hide. The teen knowing two of her darkest secrets now, she grabbed his arm just like she had at the beginning of class, gripping it even tighter than humanly possible. Telling her friends that she needed to ask him something about their homework, she dragged Ren to RWBY's dorm, not caring that she had left class early.

This was more important to her than a silly sparring class.

Closing the door and window, Blake narrowed her eyes at Ren who was sitting on a chair. He looked indifferent, but Blake could see the warmth behind his eyes; the guy understood why she hid herself.

So why reveal he had known?

"How do you know?" She demanded.

"Bow's do not twitch."

"When did you figure it out?"

"The day we got our teams assigned."

"I see…" Blake said, looking down in shame at being found out.

' _Just great. Someone knows.'_

"Why?" Ren asked, causing Blake to look up at him. "Why hide?"

"…Because I want people to see me for who I am, not what I am." Blake said, venom in her voice as she glared at him.

"And what are you?" Ren asked, making her pause for a moment.

"A Faunus."

"Yes, and you're also a girl who loves to read." Ren added, causing her to look at him confusedly. "Blake. What you are is a part of who you are. You can deny or hide that part of you, but it will always be there. You being a Faunus is a part who you are, that doesn't mean that's all there is to you, though."

"I know that but…"

"I won't tell anybody." Ren promised, his eyes filled with compassion and warmth. "This is your secret, so I'll keep it to myself until you decide to reveal it. I don't know what hardships you had to go through, and I'll probably never experience those hardships myself. However, I do know that you're not alone, that you have teammates, friends, and maybe family there to support you."

"Even if one of my teammates is the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, a company infamous for its controversial labor forces and questionable business partners, one of the main reasons the White Fang was created?"

"You shouldn't judge a book by its cover."

That stopped her in her tracks, her mouth opening in surprise at his word play and the meaning behind it. Looking down at the floor in shame once more, Blake couldn't help but release a defeated sigh at what he had just said, how true the words were to her.

' _I'm such a hypocrite.'_

"We should head back. Don't want your friends to get the wrong idea, after all. You did tell them you'd just ask for help with the homework." Ren stood up, passing Blake as he went for the door and opening it. "Let's go."

She followed him, lost in her thoughts, thinking about the conversation just minutes ago. Blake was snapped out of it when Ren decided to call out to her, his back still facing her as he stopped just near the entrance of the amphitheater

"It's none of my business… But if you need someone to lean on, I'll be there for you."

A blush formed on her face, not expecting the kind words coming from him. She could honestly say she had not expected him to be so bold or courageous to say _that_. It was a line she had read many times and heard before, but this was the first it had ever sound so sincere and… well, epic.

It looked like he was a character of out Ruby's comic book, his back facing the person he had just saved as he said a cool one liner. Blake didn't know why, but she felt like she could trust him. And as irrational as it was, she believed that he would be there for someone if they needed him.

' _Ruby was right, he is kind of cool.'_ Blake thought, smiling as they walked into the amphitheater. She made her way to wear she sat before, watching Ren talking with Ruby and Jaune, the two leaders saying how amazing he was. Now that she thought about it, she had not even noticed his fight with Cardin and Dove, perhaps she could ask Glynda to give her a recording of it.

"What took you guys so long?" Yang asked. "You've been gone for 30 minutes. Jaune just got whooped by Weiss."

"Hey! I got a couple of hits in…" Jaune complained, sulking at the choice of words Yang had used.

Weiss didn't like that little comment at the end though, squawking indignantly at the reminder that the novice had hit her. "You got lucky!"

"Nuh-uh. Pure skill."

"What?!"

Ignoring the squabble, Blake took her seat once more, sitting beside the reading Ren as she grabbed 'The Great Thief' just beside her. A comfortable silence descended upon the two, and Blake was more than happy to keep it that way. Glancing over at him, she looked at the book he was reading. Whispering the title in shock, Blake stared at it in wide eyes, not because of the title, but because it was hers.

"Ninja's of Love?!"

"I'll let you borrow my books, and you let me borrow yours. Deal?"

"Deal." Blake nodded, a smile hidden behind the book she was reading. Ignoring the fact, he had nabbed it without her looking. It looked like she had just made a reading buddy. A strong and dependable one too, if she had to guess. Giving her full attention to the book she was about to read, she read page after page, her heart pounding in excitement at what the book had to offer.

She could tell it was a good book.

' _I can't wait to read what else he has.'_ Blake thought, completely unaware of the treasure trove he had stored away.

She couldn't help but shake even more when she finished the first chapter. The chapter finishing off with a well done cliff hanger. Making her rush to get to the next.

She lied.

It was a _really_ good book.


	12. It's only the beginning

When Ren had gone off to class, Morgana told him that he was going to do his own thing. No way in hell would Glynda let the cat participate in a fight, and as much as Morgana would love to see Ren fight, he felt like the outcome would be too obvious. No one could prove too much of a challenge for his leader, after all.

That's why Morgana was roaming around Beacon, looking for anyone worth listening to, trying his best to find intel that could help with their mission. He went to the CCT and listened in to the operators, he went to other classes and listened in to the students gossip, he even went to Ozpin's office, but there was no one inside. Morgana was about to give up hope, but just as he was making his way back to the room, he heard something interesting. Following the sound of the voices, Morgana found himself stalking Professor Peach and Professor Port. The two eventually sitting in the staff lounge, Morgana listening in from just on top of a high shelf, hidden away from their eyes.

"Peach, you said that next week the students were going to Forever Fall to gather some sap for your experiments. Weren't there reports about how the grimm were acting strange, how they seemed to become stronger, and exude some kind of energy to them? Do you really think it is safe enough to let the students go?" Peter worriedly asked, clearly against the idea of letting students go to the field trip. Morgana was surprised by this, Peter was usually so boisterous during his lessons. Whatever it was that made him so concerned, it must've been serious.

"There were more reports about how the forest warped whenever people went further in." Peach added, making Peter eyes furrow. "Oh, don't be such a worrywart. Those reports were never confirmed to be true. Besides, the students won't be going too far into the forest, and Glynda will be accompanying them. They'll be fine."

"If you say so."

"I _know_ so, trust me on this. They'll be fine."

Morgana had heard enough, already jumping off the shelf and running out of the lounge, making his way to his and Ren's room. His heart beating unnaturally fast, Morgana couldn't help but cheer at his luck, happy that he had decided to leave Ren for a while. This was what they were searching for, what they needed to find to carry out their mission.

If what they said was true, then there was a distortion inside Forever Fall, which was empowering the Grimm somehow. Whatever was causing it needed to be stopped, and if possible, interrogated into telling them if there were any others causing the distortions.

Now in front of the door to their room, only to remember he needed a scroll to enter, Morgana turned around to go outside and enter through the window. Luckily for him, Ren had decided to make his appearance, slowly walking towards the dorm while reading a book. Completely unaware of the information Morgana had landed upon.

"Ren, you won't believe what I just found out!" Morgana yelled, jumping up and down and he did his best to get his friends attention. He watched Ren remove his eyes from the book, giving Morgana an amused look and a raised eyebrow.

"What's up?"

"Distortion! There is a distortion within Forever Fall; you're going there next week!"

That made Ren silent, stupefied by what the Morgana had just said. Moving faster than ever, Ren picked up Morgana, much to his annoyance, but said just the right words to be forgiven by the cat.

"We're getting you sushi."

Morgana cheered at Ren's reward for him, happy that he was being appreciated for a job well done. Morgana was put down and they were going to enter their room, but a certain rose decided to make her appearance, her eyes sparkling as she had overheard Ren's words.

"Sushi? Can we come?!" Ruby asked loudly from around a corner, her head peering around it. Her question seemed to draw a crowd, as Weiss, Blake, and Yang decided to show up, also peering their heads out of the corner like Ruby.

And then they fell on top of one another, Ruby managing to painfully groan out a single word. "Whyyyyyyyyy…"

' _Poor Ruby.'_ Morgana thought, wincing slightly as the leader tried to get up, only to fall back down from the weight of her team. Being a leader must be hard.

Blake, tossing Yang off herself, quickly moved in front of Ren, her eyes shadowed by her bangs as an ominous aura surrounded her. Morgana was disturbed by this; he couldn't get a read on her. Just when he was going to meow at her to back off, she revealed her intentions to Ren, her eyes filled with hope and longing.

"Will there be tuna?"

Morgana couldn't help but think she was a woman of high standards. Anyone who liked tuna was alright in his book. Who didn't like the fish, after all? Morgana could already see the beautiful friendship between the two of them; two cats and their love for tuna.

It would be glorious.

"And more." Ren answered, perturbed by Blake's invasion of his personal space. "However, I'll only bring you girls if Morgana allows it. What do you say, Morgana?"

"I'll allow it. It'll be easier to sneak some for me if they come." Morgana said or meowed in the case of the girls. Weiss couldn't help herself and walked over to the cat, kneeling to scratch the back of his ears, pure adoration for the cute animal in front of her.

"Aww, is that a yes? You're absolutely adorable. Yes, you are. Yes, you are~." Weiss cooed, picking up the feline and snuggling with it. Morgana tried to escape, but that just made Weiss hold him tighter than before. Looking at his leader for help, he saw Ren's shoulders shaking, covering his mouth as he tried not to laugh at feline's situation.

"When she lets go, I'll be giving you a world of hurt." Morgana threatened. This was the wrong move however, as Weiss just thought he was meowing in pleasure, squeezing him harder in response. Morgana felt the air leave his body, the precious oxygen he needed so badly unable to enter

' _Choked to death by embrace of a woman… I'm sorry Lady Ann, it seems I won't be able to see you once more.'_ And with that his eyes rolled to the back of his head, his body going limp. The first time in a long time, Morgana had fainted, defeated by the heiress.

How shameful.

Thankfully, Yang pulled him out from Weiss's hold, saving him from losing one of his nine lives. "Alright Ice Queen, that's enough. You're choking the poor guy." Putting Morgana down, she continued. "We still have some daylight left, how about we find a sushi joint now? Anyone know a few places?" Yang asked, smiling at the idea of going out with her team.

"I know a few. Let's go. We don't want to lose any precious sushi time, now would we. Let me just get my bag so Morgana has a place to hide." Ren said, entering his room, but quickly exiting it with his bag in tow. "To the airship dock?"

"To the airship dock!" RWBY declared, following Ren as Morgana jumped into the bag. With team RWBY following their lead, Morgana peered through the opening that allowed him to see the girls, looking at them with a plan in mind. A delicious plan involving sushi.

With his skills, it should be easy to nab a few from the girls without them knowing. The _true_ reason they were invited, was because the more people the more sushi. Ren had barely given him his fair share during their time at Shujin, so this was going to be the day Morgana got his return, the day he finally got what he deserved!

His plan already in motion, Morgana silently thanked the girls for deciding to show up at that moment. With unrestrained excitement, he counted every step Ren took, every step closer to the sushi restaurant.

' _Beware sushi shop for your tuna will be stolen! I swear as a member of the Phantom Thieves, that your treasure is as good as mine! Mwehehehe~!'_

* * *

When Weiss entered restaurant, she was pleased that it seemed to be a reasonable looking place. It was not the largest restaurant, but it was still big enough to hold several groups of people. Not to mention that the place was completely empty, meaning that her loud teammates wouldn't bother anyone other than the owner of the restaurant.

"Should've known that the place was near the docks. Doesn't smell like fish though… Is this place really a sushi joint?" Ruby asked, suspicious that the place didn't smell like the fish it supposedly served.

"The restaurant's name is "A Simple Sushi" … How do you miss that?" Weiss clarified, annoyed with the dumb question Ruby had given. This caused her partner to slump, before moving Ren in front of her like a shield; a shield against the cold that was Weiss.

"Save me."

"Table for five." Ren said, ignoring Ruby's plea. The cries of "betrayal" and "my only hope" escaped her partner's mouth, making Weiss smile in satisfaction.

Gestured towards a stall in the far corner of the restaurant by the Shopkeep, Weiss and her friends took their seats. Yang, Ruby and Weiss sat on one side, while Blake and Ren sat opposite from them. Looking at the menus and figuring out what they wanted, they called the Shopkeep over and ordered. Weiss decided to have just a few rolls and a salad, Yang and Ruby decided to share a party tray, and Blake ordered a lot of tuna. An unnatural amount of tuna. Weiss couldn't help but be stumped by Blake's order, a huge grin on the bow wearing girl almost feral.

"You're all crazy…" Weiss declared, looking at her teammates with disgust. Baffled by their large appetites, she looked at Ren, the only normal person there, sitting across from her. He had ordered quarter the amount of tuna Blake had and a few other things and asked that after everything be served he receive "The Challenge". The exemplary student then told the Shopkeep to take his time, that they were in no rush, and he not push himself too hard to serve the massive amount. This made the Shopkeep smile appreciatively at him, before leaving the students to prepare, whistling a happy tune as he made his way to the kitchen.

Weiss couldn't help but marvel at Ren Amamiya. She had gotten a bashing from him the first day of classes, but the days that followed after only left her to wonder at his abilities. He was the perfect student in her eyes; knowledgeable, courteous, charismatic, a capable fighter, and good humored. He was what she thought a leader should be. What she strived to be.

"Is something the matter, Weiss?" Ren asked.

Deciding to use this opportunity to ask some questions, Weiss played off his concern. "Oh, nothing is wrong. I was just wondering how you became Glynda's assistant, and how you managed to refine that dust crystal. Both are feats I doubt were easy to have done."

Piquing her teammates interest with her questions, they couldn't help but focus their attention to Ren. "Know that I think about it, I didn't see you at the entrance exam for the school… I know your plain looking, but I think I would've seen you then." Blake bluntly said, her amber eyes now curious as to how he had gotten into the school. Weiss couldn't help but raise her brow at that. Didn't take an entrance exam? How was he here then?

"I want to know how you learned to fight. You moved way too skillfully to be just a regular hunter-in-training, not to mention you're quicker than Ruby." Yang pointed out, putting her sister into a headlock and giving her a noogie. "No offense Ruby, but this guy is definitely faster, I couldn't even see him move."

Prying herself out of Yang's headlock, Ruby gave her own question. "Oh, how did you pass initiation without finding a teammate? None of us saw you during the time."

Ren put his hands up to slow them down. "I'll answer your questions in chronological order. First off, I was put into too many dangerous situations suddenly. Not wanting to die I learned to fight, otherwise my life would have been forfeit." Ren morbidly said. "Second, the reason why I wasn't there during the entrance exam was because I was passing by a town called Peace. You may have heard, but it got attacked by Grimm at night, just a week before the semester began. The morning after the attack, I met Ms. Goodwitch. We talked for a bit, but a death stalker had attacked the town. Ms. Goodwitch left, told me to leave, but I followed her, and happened to save Ms. Adel."

"That must've been one hell of a situation…" Yang said, pitying the guy for being thrown into something he couldn't control. "Must've been rough. Ruby couldn't even use her semblance without crashing into a wall for a few years, so I can't imagine what you had to do."

"It was hard, but worth it."

"Wait a moment… Oh my gosh, it was you who saved Coco!?" Ruby shouted, pointing her finger at the rumored "Saviour of CFVY". "Is it true that you froze the Death Stalker, danced on top of it, swept Coco off her feet, then killed it with an epic finishing move like in the video games?!" Emphasizing her point she did a few karate chops.

Weiss couldn't help herself and slapped her own face. Her partner was such a dork.

Raising his eyebrow at the wild, but not completely false rumor, Ren answered her. "I believe I am, but those are exaggerated. I simply stopped the death stalker. Professor Goodwitch got Coco out of harms way. I got lucky that it froze completely, making my next attack all the more effective." Ren revealed, making the girls awe at him for a moment. "Anyways, after saving Coco, Glynda asked me to join Beacon. I accepted and now I'm here."

"Wow, you got admitted into Beacon by _the_ Professor Goodwitch. Way to go." Yang commended. Offering him a fist bump which he gladly reciprocated.

"Thanks. Third, at initiation I just didn't run into anyone." Ren lamely explained, causing RWBY to slump at the anti-climactic way he put it. "I actually ran to the cliffside to help you all out, but when I arrived I saw little red behead the giant Nevermore. Nice job, team RWBY."

The girls beamed at his praise. Weiss adding "Flatterer" to the list of ways to describe the boy. They all said a few words of thanks to him before silencing themselves, eager to hear how he had become the assistant of their professor.

Weiss leaned in, eager to hear of his exploits.

"I gave Professor Goodwitch some experimental dust, a more reactant variant that I deemed safe to use. However, I did not take into account that she did not know how to handle it. She called me to the amphitheater the night before her class, When I arrived it was a complete mess. The teachers were curious about what I had created, and when Glynda used it, she had caused a rampant lightning storm apparently."

Blake couldn't help but ask. "Isn't she one of the best practitioners of dust in the world? Doesn't that mean that the dust _wasn't_ safe to use then?"

"Perhaps; however, I decided to show them it's capabilities." Putting a hand in his pocket, he pulled out a small wind crystal the size of a thumb, before creating a small tornado in the palm of his hand. The girls looked at it in fascination, amazed by the amount of control he was showing to them. Without a warning, it disappeared from existence, his voice bringing their attention back to him. "When I showed them what it was capable of; what I was capable of, Professor Goodwitch asked me to be her T.A. As for the refining, I usually do that using tools, but I didn't bring them with me that day. Not wanting to keep everyone waiting, I used my aura to nullify its properties and crush it with my hands. I allowed some of the dust to activate, controlling the wind it created to finely grind the dust even further. When I opened my palm, well, you all saw what it was." Ren answered all their questions, a sigh escaping his mouth as he asked them on more thing.

"Anything else?"

"Let me get this straight… You learned to fight because of necessity, saved Coco, got admitted into Beacon, and became an assistant by showing Glynda how capable you were with dust…?" Yang summarized, slowing down at the end to make sure she had covered everything. Getting a nod from Ren, she huffed in pride, glad she had gotten everything correct.

Before more questions could be asked, their sushi arrived. Weiss and Ren's meal tidily placed in front of them, Ruby and Yang's party platter taking up a quarter of the table, and Blake's mountain of tuna that took up the rest of the table. Saying thank you to the Shopkeep, they all looked at their meals with happy expressions, glad that they had gotten something worth while.

Weiss and Ren slowly ate their food, savouring the taste of the delicacy. Weiss noticed that Ren was giving all the tuna to Morgana, who was sitting beside Ren inside his bag, the cat's little head poking out whenever being presented with food.

' _He's so cute~!'_ Weiss crooned in her mind. She just wanted to take a photo of the little kitty. However, she was interrupted out of her thoughts by the loud belch the two siblings had created. Finishing up her meal so that she would not lose her appetite, she blanched at sister duo. The two devoured their food like it would disappear the next moment. Whenever they grabbed the same piece of fish, they would glare at each other before fighting over it; battling each other using their chopsticks.

"You both are such children."

Too busy fighting over a piece of salmon, Weiss glanced over at Blake, hoping that at least she was more civilized than those brutes. Instead, she was greeted with the mountain of tuna slowly descending, Blake making quick work of the fish by stuffing it into her mouth. She was no better than Red and Yellow.

At the corner of her eye, she saw Morgana exit the bag he was in, and grab a fork with his tail. The cat took from the unsuspecting, sneakily piercing the fish and leading it to his mouth. Weiss gaped at how talented the cat was with his tail, expertly using it just like a person with opposable thumbs.

Ren exposed Morgana, making Weiss go wide eye in shock. "The real reason he allowed you girls to come."

"Shouldn't you stop him?"

"It's their fault. They should be more aware of their surroundings. Besides, Blake is about to figure him out."

Just like he said, Blake had figured the cat out. The instant they made eye contact, they hissed at one each other. Weiss could only watch in shock as the two began to battle like Yang and Ruby. Morgana expertly wielding the fork like a sword, while Blake dual wielded her chopsticks to stop him. Morgana seemed to win however, as he stuffed his face with tuna, much to the ire of Blake.

"What- Hey! How dare you! Blake yelled. Not wanting the cat to finish everything, Blake continued eating as much as she could. With the combined efforts of the two, it was finished in an instant, nothing left behind.

"That was good~!" Yang said, patting her belly in good measure. Ruby did the same but burped, causing her sister to laugh. Blake and Morgana nodded at her to agree before glaring each other down, no doubt annoyed that they had to compete for the tuna. Weiss couldn't help but sigh in exasperation, not believing her teammates.

"It's here." Ren said out of the blue, crossing his arms while closing his eyes, as if anticipating something to happen. Without warning, the Shopkeep returned with a giant sushi roll the size of beach ball, placing it in front of Ren before nodding in respect and leaving.

"Whoa." Ruby exclaimed, vocalizing the thoughts of her team. It was beautiful, it was huge, and it was ordered by Ren who still had his eyes closed. The girls could see an aura of concentration exuding off the him, making them back off and watch. His eyes opened, fire beneath them, and began to dig into the giant masterpiece. It took him 12 minutes to finish, no breaks in between. They watched him chug a glass of water before slamming it on the table, a victorious smile on his face.

"25% off your order if you finish it." Ren explained, making the girls pause to process the information, before they clap at his accomplishment. Weiss, while a little bit disturbed by the amount of food her friends had eaten, couldn't help but giggle a bit at Ren's victory. Before she knew it, the had all gone to the register to pay. The girls were talking about how to split the bill, but Ren pulled out his card and payed for them all, making them cry out in shock.

"It's my treat. Don't worry about it." Ren said, his act of chivalry making the girls smile in appreciation. Saying thanks to the owner, they left the restaurant in satisfaction. It was now night, and Weiss couldn't help but blink and rub her eyes to make sure time wasn't messing with her.

The group walked back to the airship docks that led to Beacon in a slow pace. Weiss couldn't help but bring up something that had been bothering her, a spar with a clumsy knight coming into mind.

"Jaune's getting better. I know he's been training with Pyrrha, but I don't understand how he's been improving so fast."

"Is _Snow Angel_ not happy that Jaune managed to push her back? You won in the end, though." Yang teased, jabbing the heiress in the ribs with her finger. "But yeah. He is getting better."

"I suppose I have to apologize then. I also train with him. He probably used what I taught him just yesterday. Did he push your sword back with his shield when you went for a finisher, causing you to lose balance for a moment, then gave a few slashes of his own?" Ren asked, a knowing smile on his face.

"So, it was you! I was wondering how he had improved so much the past couple weeks." Weiss cried out, a little peeved that the leader of JNPR was getting help from two of the best students in school.

That wasn't fair at all.

"So, you tutor Ruby, train Jaune, practically teach a class, make dangerous experimental dust, and can eat a giant sushi roll… Is there anything you can't do?" Weiss asked, a bit bitter that this guy was admittedly starting to sound better than her. She was about to just throw in the towel but Ren said something she hadn't expected; what team RWBY hadn't expected.

"If Morgana tells me to go to bed, I go to bed."

…

What?

"Are you serious?"

Ren didn't answer, staying silent as he looked anywhere but them, clearly embarrassed and ashamed with his weakness. Morgana decided to make an appearance, jumping on top of Ren's head, subsequently making the poor boy almost fall. "Mwehehehehehe." The animal mocked his owner, looking down at him with a condescending smirk. The boy didn't do anything to get the cat off him, instead he just slumped his shoulders in defeat as he let the feline do as he pleased.

"Whipped." Yang whispered to Ruby, giggling a little when the cat used Ren's head as a throne. Ren finally decided to act after that comment, grabbing the cat and dropping him onto the ground, rebelling against the tyrant widely known as Morgana.

"It's starting to get late. We should head back." Ren suddenly suggested, clearly trying to change the subject and save face. Weiss couldn't help but feel a bit pleased by his embarrassment, happy to know that he wasn't as perfect she thought he was.

He was much more relatable after that.

Time flew by once more and they were now inside the airship, taking a few seats for themselves as they got comfortable for the ride. Ruby, Yang, and Blake all fell asleep for the ride, the satisfying meal to blame. Weiss sat beside Ren and Morgana, the cat sleeping on his lap. She watched Ren scratch the back of Morgana's ears, a smile on growing on his face as the animal purred.

"Thank you for coming with us today." Ren said, surprising the heiress. "Morgana gets lonely sometimes, so having some company really helps him."

"You're welcome." Weiss replied. "Thanks for having us."

He stayed silent after that, focusing at the view from the window seat. Weiss couldn't help herself and looked at him, the moon illuminating the features on his face. She couldn't help but be confused by what she saw; surprised by the sudden turn of emotions.

He was smiling wistfully as his eyes were filled with longing. An air of melancholy surrounding him as he looked out the window. The expression didn't match his behaviour from earlier. The expression just didn't match him at all. It was like looking at a stranger and she couldn't help but think he was one at that very moment.

It somewhat reminded her of when she was in Atlas. When her father had full control, and every action she made was just him telling her what she had to do. When she would hide away from the world and let go, let her true emotions out.

It was like watching a mirror, except it shattered in an instant. Ren turned his head to look at her, his demeanor suddenly changing into the one he had in the restaurant.

"Is something wrong? You look sad."

' _You're the one who looked sad.'_ Weiss couldn't help but think he had put on a mask when he said that, covering up what he had just unknowingly showed before. How his demeanor changed from one to another, she could not figure out; however, that sad expression on his face haunted her. She didn't know why, but she let the words out of her mouth. She wanted to help him, but she didn't know how. This was her best bet, yet her worst.

"Ren, would you like to hang out sometimes?" What was she thinking… This was the guy who didn't like her attitude the first day of school, the same guy who berated her for it. There was no way-

"I would like that."

Ok, maybe there was a way. A very simple and easy way that she hadn't expected to be so efficient.

"Just so you know," Ren began, a cheeky grin on his face. "Ruby has been asking me to hang out with her the past two weeks. Expect some whining when she finds out that you'll be doing it in her stead." With that warning told, he ended the conversation there, looking out the window once more.

Weiss dreaded the thought of a complaining Ruby as she stared at him once more. Again, she studied his features under the moon light. To her delight, he had a small smile on his face, his eyes shining with an emotion she couldn't identify. No longer was there that melancholy that hanged off him, instead it was replaced with something happier.

Weiss internally cheered, she had helped him somewhat it seemed.

"Thank you, Weiss." Ren said out of the blue, not bothering to look at her as he expressed his gratitude. "I needed that."

"You're welcome."

Weiss didn't understand, but time somehow flew by after that once more. They made it to Beacon, walked back to their dorms, and said their goodnights. Weiss, in her pajamas, laid on her bed with a content smile on her face. Wondering what they could do to hang out, a revelation smashed into her which made her sit up, apprehension marking her face at her lack of knowledge.

She was born into a high-class family with high standards. Presumptuous as it was, Ren probably wasn't. She couldn't help but think that Ren wouldn't appreciate what she considered enjoyable; Ruby and Yang proved this fact long ago. Anxiety now taking over her thoughts, she laid back down with her eyes staring at the bottom of Ruby's bed. A new sense of dread filling her.

"What do normal people do to hang out…?"

* * *

Waking up early to start preparations, Ren walked to RWBY's dorm with renewed motivation, a goal in mind. Knocking on the door loudly, he was met with a disheveled Ruby. The girl had just woken up it seemed, her teammates still sleeping as she was the one to take the door.

"Ren…? It's 6 am, and It's Friday; we don't have classes." Ruby groggily said. Rubbing her eyes to get a better look at him, she noticed he was fully clothed; wearing a light gray hooded sweater and a pair of jeans.

"I guess you don't want to help me make a weapon then." Ren said slyly. The mention of weapon woke the girl up, making her squeal before disappearing in a flurry of rose petals. Reappearing in front of Ren in her usual red and black outfit, she jumped out the room and grabbed his arm, dragging him to the forge available to the students.

"Why didn't you say so earlier! Let's go!" Before he knew it, he was flying through the air. Ruby was using her semblance to get to the forge as quickly as possible, dragging him like a ragdoll. Fast than Ryuji saying "For real", they were inside the forge. Ren holding complicated weapon schematics courtesy of Ruby. The girl was flying about, grabbing different kinds of metal, and equipment to use to make the boy's weapon.

The girl was fast. They literally left her dorm just 5 minutes ago.

"What do you want to make?!" Ruby asked, slowing down to so that Ren could finally see her. Her eyes were sparkling, her hands clasped together as she smiled like a maniac. Ren couldn't help but compare her to Futaba for moment, the overly excited girls almost paralleling each other. Chuckling at her exuberance, he ruffled her hair, making her squirm and whine.

"I just need a knife that can change into hand gun." Ren said. "Preferably one much more durable than this."

Letting the simple knife slide down his sleeve, Ren presented it to her. it was worn down and on the verge of breaking. Not because of the Grimm or his opponents, and not because of irresponsible maintenance. It was breaking due to the amount of power he was exerting into it. The knife worked amazingly well, but it amazed him more that it managed to last this long. Handing it to her, Ren watched the myriad emotions that danced on Ruby's face.

"What did you do to it? You poor child…" Cradling the blade to her chest, it disintegrated into dust. The girl crying out in shock as it disappeared into thin air.

"It wasn't as durable as I thought…"

"Durable? You… You fiend!" Ruby yelled, falling to the floor on her knees, crying tears as she tried to pick up the dust that fell to the ground. The remnants of the weapon now in her hands. "How could you?!"

She looked like she was going to attack him in vengeance. The girl frothing at the mouth in pure disdain over what he had done to his weapon. "Promise me you won't break the child I will make for you." Ruby said, stating the terms for creating his weapon. Ren couldn't help but groan, her words a double entendre that could lead to so many misunderstandings.

"I promise. Don't ever say that ever again."

"Huh? Why?"

"Ruby. For your dignity and mine, _never_ say that again." Ren uttered, making the girl squeak when the intensity in his eyes tripled. Taking her silence as a yes, he nodded at her. "Let's get started."

Ruby, deciding to forgive his insolence towards the now deceased blade, got to work. She and Ren gathered all the material needed, making sure to get the strongest and lightest metal the school had to offer. Usually, it would take a few weeks to create a mechanical shifting weapon, but Ren had quickly grasped the concept of creating one. Ruby couldn't help but stare in awe as he efficiently created the parts from scratch, adding his own little designs to make sure everything worked to his liking. She was sure Ren could create it the weapon by himself, but he had assured her that he only knew the basics, that he couldn't put it all together. He needed Ruby, which made the girl beam before getting back to work. He had asked her to create a specialized clip for the gun, one that can store dust like Weiss' Myrtenaster. This confused her, but she complied. It took a bit of effort on her part, but she managed to finish it in record time. By the time they had finished making the weapon, it was 10 in the morning.

Tossing the blade between both hands, before giving it a few good swings, Ren smiled at it in satisfaction. The weapon was based off **Satanael's** signature rifle, the reason being that was the most notable weapon he had ever seen in his life. A gold and black handle with a single-sided black blade to match, the weapon was kept simple in order to not complicate the mecha-shifting. With a press of a button on the handle, it would change to a gun. It would look like **Satanael's** rifle, just as a pistol. No fancy gold designs however. The that allowed dust to flow into it when as a blade, inspiration from Weiss' weapon, and would automatically change to a bullet trigger when changed to a pistol. The design was kept simple, clean, and easy to use. The reason why it took so long to make it was because of the parts Ren had specially made for it.

Those parts made the shifting between the two modes just slightly faster, and also allowed him to use his specially made dust. Ren had learned that the empowered dust he created deteriorated the weapons using them, so in order to use it he would have to create special chambers for the dust. It was quite annoying, having to create and recreate the chambers that withheld the energy sources, but if they proved successful then it would be more worth it.

"I can't thank you enough, Ruby." Ren said, hand the weapon over to her to marvel at. "This couldn't have been made without your help."

"Aww, it's no problem. Just repaying your tutoring." Ruby said, blushing at his appreciative attitude towards her. "Just know that if you destroy this child like the last one, I will end you."

"Noted." Ren said, putting his hands up to placate her. She seemed satisfied with that, huffing as she began to walk out the forge. Ren followed her, taking a place beside her as they made their way out of the building.

"By the way, what are you going to name it?" Ruby asked, looking at him curiously as he hid the blade away. "Every weapon is given a name when it's made, so what's yours going to be?

"A name…" Ren said out loud. What should he name the weapon? There wasn't a distinct one he could think of. His eyes lit up a moment later, a smile adorning his face as he brought out the blade.

"Phantom." Ren declared, holding the blade up in front of him as he gave its name. As a student he would wield Phantom in his arsenal, while as Joker he would be the Phantom.

Not bad if he said so himself.

"Phantom? Simple, but cool. I approve" Ruby said with a thumbs up, before holding her stomach and slumping in pain. A large growl escaped from her belly, prompting her to hold it tighter Laughing at her misfortune, Ren looked at her teasingly, before waving her to follow him. She deserved a good breakfast today. She worked hard for it, after all.

He just hoped she liked curry.

* * *

"Ruby Rose, I am only going to ask this one more time. Where did you get that curry?" Yang was jealous of her, Ruby could see it clearly. It wasn't just Yang, Weiss and Blake were also looking at her enviously. Not that she minded of course, after all, she was the one with the blessed breakfast while they eat mush.

"Go back to your potatoes." Ruby ordered. This was the time for them to feed their stomachs for the day to come. They didn't have classes during Fridays, which meant they could do whatever they pleased. They had a fun activity filled day ahead of them, so that meant they should eat their mush while she ate her curry.

Her teammates didn't like that, for the moment she said those words they were already upon her. Yang grabbing her plate, while Weiss and Blake held her arms, effectively stopping her from making any moves.

"WHAT?! LET ME GO?!"

BLAKE! WEISS! HOLD HER THERE!"

"Greed is a sin, Ruby." Blake scolded.

"You should share with your teammates, _team leader_." Weiss chastised. "You should have seen this coming. While we eat mush, you come in with a delicacy. Think of this as your punishment."

Ruby was about to retort but was stopped by the noise Yang made. Looking over at her sister, Ruby gaped as she saw that Yang was shovelling down _her_ food. _Her_ reward.

"Oh~, this is so good."

Blake and Weiss let go of her, mad that they were doing physical labour while the blonde took the fruits of their labour. The two walked up to her and took the plate, effectively stopping Yang's eating spree.

"Hey! I was eating that!"

Weiss admonished Yang. "We agreed we would share! That is not sharing!"

"Oh c'mon, Ice Queen. I was going to give you guys some. Once I had my fill of course."

"You are despicable." Blake said, narrowing her eyes at Yang. "Have you no shame?"

"Nope!"

Ruby decided to take action against the plate was in Blake's hands and she was distracted; this was the only opportunity she had. With the use of her semblance, Ruby quickly stole her plate back, shocking her teammates from their argument. With her plate back in her hand, Ruby gobbled down what was left of the food, quickly using a spoon she had grabbed along the way. The curry now done, her teammates looked at her like she was a savage.

The early bird gets the worm.

"Ruby! That's not fair." That was a frustrated Yang.

"Says you! We didn't get any!" That was an angry Weiss.

"So much for breakfast." That was a depressed Blake.

Ruby only burped in response.

"Where did you get that, Ruby? The kitchen staff don't serve curry here if I remember correctly." And that was Pyrrha. Oh, right. Team JNPR were sitting across from them, eating their pancake breakfast Lie Ren had made for them. Rens around the world must be good cooks.

"I made a weapon for Ren. Not you Ren, but other Ren." Ruby explained. "After we made it, he made me breakfast. He left after he ate his share and told me to tell you guys that there were leftovers in the student lounge." She forgot about that. "Oh! There are leftovers in the student lounge!" And Ruby bolted in a flurry of rose petals, wanting seconds of the meal she had just eaten.

She could hear Weiss, Yang, and Blake chase after her. Her teammates screaming at her to save some for them. She couldn't help it, the food was just too good that it was unfair. Booking it to the student lounge, Ruby turned the corner that led to it.

And crashed straight into Professor Goodwitch. The woman didn't fly back like she would have though, instead she stood like a wall while Ruby crashed into it, slumping into a pile of flesh and bones as she groaned.

"Ruby Rose. Do not run in the halls."

She was about to say sorry, but then her teammates repeated her actions. Crashing into Goodwitch, the slumping onto the ground, on top of their leader. Ruby built the foundation for her team, literally.

"Whyyyyyyyy…" The rose themed girl groaned out. With a great show of strength, she threw them off of her, their surprised cries drowned by her scream of strength.

"Ruby Rose! Do not yell in the halls either."

Why was she the only one being scolded – they ran in the halls too! Pouting at Glynda, Ruby said a quick sorry before looking inside the student lounge, her eyes focused on the pots on the oven. At least they should have, there was nothing on top of it, only an empty space.

"Aww, where did the curry go?" Ruby asked gloomily. Her teammates followed, their eyes looking on in disappointment as they searched the room for the food Ruby was given.

Glynda adjusted her glasses and made them shine, a smug smile appearing on her face for once. "My colleagues and I smelled the curry when you left, Ms. Rose. We gladly ate it, there was a note on it saying to, after all." Glynda smiled mockingly at them. "I guess you're just going to have to get here faster next time."

RWBY gaped at the teacher. This was the first time they had seen such a cocky smile on her face. Without another word, Professor Goodwitch left the girls to stare, turning the corner as her heels clicked on the ground.

Yang, Weiss, and Blake looked inside the room one last time, before turning to their leader. All of them angrily staring at Ruby.

"Why didn't you get any for us!?" They yelled. Ruby had to cover her ears at how loud they were.

"I can't carry four plates by myself! Besides, Ren was the one to cook it! Just ask him to make more." Ruby trailed off, hoping her excuse would work. It didn't.

"Then where is Ren?"

"Ummmm… I dunno…?" Lamely answering them, Ruby looked away from her teammates. The same question also forming in her head.

' _Where was Ren?'_

* * *

"So, we're resupplying today." Morgana asked, hidden within the bag Ren was currently carrying.

"Yeah. Remind me if I miss anything, okay?"

"You can count on me, Joker."

Ren had left Ruby after making her breakfast, the girl was practically drooling when presented with the food. Saying it was her reward, the girl left to show off to her teammates his culinary expertise. He had made sure to leave a note on the pots for anyone passing by, telling them to take the food for themselves, and to clean the dishes afterwards. With that business done, Ren went back to his room to pick up Morgana and headed to the city. They had six days left to prepare for Forever Fall, which meant they had plenty of time to resupply and think of a plan.

"Dust first." Ren declared, which Morgana readily agreed to. Making their way to the shop, they couldn't help but notice many of the stores around the area were closed. Broken windows and police officers everywhere.

"Excuse me, young man!" An officer called out. "I'm afraid this road has been closed off. I'll have to ask you to leave."

"What happened?"

"There have been string of robberies lately, the White Fang being the perpetrators. Run along, young man."

"I understand, thank you." Not wanting to bother the officer, Ren left. His eye furrowing in worry as he glanced back to the scene. Morgana decided to voice his thoughts, the cat having the same expression as him.

"You think there are any other stores open?" It would be a problem if they weren't. They won't be able to receive any dust. And while they still had quite a collection of the energy source, it was better to have extra then less.

"Let's hope not."

Ren walked around the city, luckily managing to buy a few dust crystals, but at a higher price. The White Fang were really doing a number to these businesses, all the owners were extremely paranoid whenever they had entered their stores. Thankfully, no incident had occurred.

"We won't be getting anymore dust than this, unfortunately." Looking at the bag of crystals he had bought, Ren stored them in his inventory. "Let's take a break. Want to stretch your legs? I'll be going off to buy some books."

Morgana jumped out the bag, glad he was finally out of there. "I'll meet you back at that ice cream stand that we passed. I want to try that mint chocolate."

"Got it." The two left each other to do their own thing, Morgana to explore, while Ren off to buy some books. Walking to his favourite bookstore, Ren opened the door and was greeted with the usual.

"Welcome to "Tukson's Book Trade", home to every book under the sun! How may I help you?"

"Just browsing. It's good to see you again, Tukson."

"Ren! It's been a while. How's school?" Tukson asked with a smile. The two had met the same day Ren went to buy his coffee equipment. Ren had walked upon the store and instantly entered it. Once Tukson had greeted him, the two hit it off. Ren spending the entire afternoon checking for any books he found interesting, while chatting with Tukson, even helping the man with carrying a few to the back.

"It's definitely interesting." Ren said, checking over a few shelves and grabbing a few books. "Business been treating you well?"

Tukson sighed at that, a bittersweet smile on his face. "The usual. No one seems to appreciate books these days."

"A shame. I know a girl who loves to read, maybe I should bring her over."

"Please do! It would be good for business." Tukson laughed, wincing a bit as he seemed to rub his shoulder. "Damn…"

"Did you hurt yourself, Tukson?"

"Oh, this? Just carried a few too many books." Tukson explained. This would've normally satisfied Ren, but he could tell when someone was lying through their teeth. Tukson was hiding something important, his anxious look couldn't fool anyone, especially the leader of the Phantom Thieves. Activating Third Eye, Ren saw the giant bruise across Tukson's shoulder, and upon further inspection, the man also had bruises covering his torso; bullet wounds if he had to guess. Ren would've played it off with saying Tukson got mugged, but he saw something that put the pieces together, Inside Tukson's fingertips were retractable claws; He was a Faunus. And while Ren had nothing against the race, he couldn't help but notice how Tukson seemed to sweat and jump a bit whenever a police officer had passed by the window.

"I see." Ren slowly said, observing Tukson from behind a shelf. "Do you need a hand with carrying some books then? You look like you could use it."

"That would be a great help, Ren. There are some books in the back that need to be put out for display, I'll show them to you." Opening the doors behind himself, Tukson gestured for Ren to come in. "I have to warn you though, they're a bit heavy."

Saying nothing in response, Ren entered the open doors and studied the back storage. The shelves were littered with all kinds of literature. Letting out an appreciative whistle, he looked back at Tukson and nodded at him in approval, giving the man a thumbs up. After that, he was led further inside, a small table with a stack of books on top of it. From the sheer size of the pile, Ren would guess it weighed roughly thirty pounds.

"You sure you can lift them?"

"I've benched heavier, no problem." Ren boasted, rolling his shoulder as assurance. Going to the pile, Ren positioned himself underneath the pile, making sure to carry them properly lest he hurt his back. Easily picking them up, Ren slowly made his way to the front, pretending to make it seem heavier than it really was.

He wanted some extra time to see if anything significant was in here.

"I'll hold the door for you. Take it easy." Tukson warned, walking away from Ren to do as he just said. This worked in Ren's favor, making his investigation much easier. Activating Third Eye and searching the vicinity, Ren slowly made his way to where Tukson was. Noticing a thin book on a shelf, Ren picked it out and placed it in his inventory, replacing it with another with same cover. Deciding to make a scene to not seem suspiciously slow, Ren made himself fall, letting the books drop to the ground as he gave a convincing yell.

"Woah~!"

Convincing.

"Ren?!"

Tukson was given the sight of him on the floor, books scattered everywhere as he laid beneath them. Ren had made sure to include the books on the shelves to make it seem like he hadn't selected that single one. Getting up and sweeping off the dust, Ren gave his excuse while rubbing his neck to seem abashed.

"I stubbed my foot on one of the shelf corners; couldn't see it. I'll pick these up right away." And he did, expertly grabbing the books that were on the shelf and placing them there and making sure they were all mixed up to make it seem like a happy accident. With that done, Ren picked up the display books and placed them on the counter, a large thud resounded across the room as he dropped it there.

"Thank you, Ren. I appreciate that."

"It's not a problem." Smiling at Tukson, he offered a handshake to him. Muttering a quick _**Diarahan**_ while he shook his hand, Ren made sure to control the spell so that the light never appeared. "I'll be taking my leave now, I have to meet with a friend. Take care of yourself."

"You too. Thanks for helping."

Waving a goodbye, Ren left the store and brought out the thin book he had stolen. Opening it, he was greeted with instructions and addresses. These addresses were all the dust stores that had been robbed, and these instructions were procedures and plans regarding them. Flipping the page, Ren saw the insignia; the White Fang.

"Tukson…" Ren muttered, upset with the revelation he had pieced together. Ren was astute, but sometimes he couldn't help but curse it. Ignorance was truly bliss sometimes, but he knew it was better this way. Flipping the page once more, Ren was greeted with a very recent plan. Tonight, there was going to be a robbery, and by the looks of it a rather large one led by Roman Torchwick.

'It's happening much faster than I would've liked, but l _ooks like the Phantom Thieves are going to make their official debut.'_

* * *

She was bored. So very bored. If boredom could kill, then this was it, this was her end. Swinging her umbrella around wildly in circles, she headed to her favorite ice cream stand, skipping along the way. Using her semblance to disguise herself as a brunette with brown eyes, she lined up at the stand, excitedly jumping up and down in patience. When it was her turn, she ordered her usual. The owner always gave her an extra scoop, so she always made sure to tip him. Smiling at the cone, she licked it and shivered in delight. This was what she was lived for, why she lived to this very day. Without this, her life would be meaningless. Sitting down on a bunch underneath a tree, she took her time with the treat, savoring the taste it had to offer. It was only until she was done eating the cone did she notice the person beside her.

"Meow." It said, making Neo jump. She had not even noticed the thing, too distracted with her dessert to care. Now that it was finished, she studied what sat beside her and silently squealed. A black cat with bright blue eyes and a yellow collar, and it was looking at her with curious eyes.

How cute.

Picking it up like an excited child, she gave it a e friendliest smile she had to offer, which made it tilt its head. The sight made her heart melt and made her want to adopt the animal here and there. Who cares if it has a collar, it's not like the cat was with its owner. Probably was too irresponsible to care, stupid person.

She was about to snuggle with the cat, but it lifted its paw and booped her on the forehead. Normally she would've thought that was adorable. Normally she would've silently died in delight at the act. But the cat did something she had not expected. Something no one would've expected.

Her illusion shattered, the sound of glass breaking indicating such. Her pink and brown eyes widened in pure shock, as her mouth gaped. However, she was a trained professional who prided herself in her abilities, so not even a second passed before she put up a new one. Looking at the cat with a mix of curiosity and suspicion, she was about to throw it in the air and see if it would scream or not. If it did, it meant it was a regular cat and she would snuggle with it. If it didn't…

Let's just hope it did.

"Excuse me but could lessen your grip on my cat. He looks like he can't breathe."

Snapping back to reality, Neo turned around to face, what she presumed was, the irresponsible owner. "Frizzy hair" she would call him, or maybe "extra". He didn't look all that remarkable, and he didn't seem like anything special. Lightening her grip on the poor feline, she watched it desperately take in air before meowing frantically at Frizzy Hair. The boy just chuckled though, brushing off the cat's panic and giving it a teasing smile.

"Morgana, just because you're cute doesn't mean you can attract pretty ladies as you please. Pardon him, Miss, he's quite the player." He jested with a smile. The now dubbed Morgana seemed to take offense to that, however. Neo couldn't help but snicker as the feline in her hands started angrily hissing and growling at Frizzy Hair.

"Yes, I know. You have eyes for only one girl. But you can't deny that she is pretty." Frizzy said, giving her a polite smile before returning his attention to Morgana. She liked that. He was flirting but, but it wasn't obnoxious like the cat calls she would receive time to time. The boy was polite, and that gave him point sin her department. She smiled at the compliment and winked at him, letting him know she was pleased with that little comment.

"I'm sorry, but could you keep him company a bit longer? I'll make it worth your time if you do." Make it worth her time? That sounded interesting. Nodding to let him know she accepted his offer, she gave him an alluring smile as she crossed her legs seductively. Usually this would make men, and sometimes women melt, but this had no effect on him, he just sauntered off to the ice cream stand without even giving her a second look, she didn't miss the amused look he gave her as he left.

A polite flirt capable of resisting her charms. Oh, this guy was definitely making things interesting now. Dropping Morgana on her lap and petting the feline, much to its ire, she waited for Frizzy to return. When he did, she couldn't help but drool and smile in satisfaction. He certainly did make the wait worth it.

He held a small bowl of mint chocolate ice cream on his right hand, while balancing two ice cream cones with double scoops on his left hand's index and middle finger. Making his way to her with the treats, she couldn't help herself from being impressed in his little accomplishment. He was just making things so fun today. He took a seat beside her, and offered one of the cones to her; two scoops of her favorite, what luck.

Smiling in appreciation, she took the cone from him and licked it, shivering in delight once more at the frozen dessert. Usually she would be giving her one hundred percent attention to the dessert, but she decided to observe Frizzy and Morgana. The cat had left her lap the moment she had took the cone and had sat prim and proper in between the two of them. She watched as Frizzy put down the small bowl in front of Morgana. Frizzy ate his ice cream slowly, savoring it just like she was, but quickly finished it once he got near the cone. He looked at her and smiled when he finished the treat, handing her a napkin he had been holding. Gratefully accepting it, she wiped off any excess ice cream that had melted, before expertly throwing it into the garbage. Frizzy clapped at her feat, which prompted her to bow a bit.

"I would like to stay and chat, but we have some business to take care of. It was nice to meet you."

Frizzy stood up and Morgana jumped inside his bag. She couldn't help but feel disappointed that her entertainment was leaving her. That wouldn't do. She had tons of spare time between her jobs and dumb bosses, so when she found what something she liked, she usually indulged in it until she was bored with it. Not wanting to just part ways with what she liked at the moment, she stood up and tapped his shoulder, giving him one of the demurest smiles she could muster before taking out her scroll and tapping it. He seemed to understand this and took out his own scroll. This guy knew when to take a hint too, it seemed.

"I'm surprised. I didn't expect to get a cute girl's number today." Frizzy stated, giving her his number while she gave hers. She couldn't help but smirk at his little compliment. He wasn't like her bosses, he actually had some tact. She only hoped he could keep her entertained long enough before all this was over.

Frizzy took his leave, walking away from her as she stared at his back. Just before he turned a corner, he looked at her and mysteriously smiled, she couldn't help but be surprised because it was the same kind of smile on of her bosses made. He spoke loud enough for her to hear, and the words that left his mouth shook her to the core; this guy was much more interesting than she had thought.

"You shouldn't hide your true appearance like that. You look much better the way you are." With that said, he turned the corner with the cat in tow, leaving her to stare in shock. It took a good few seconds for her to process what he had just said, a few more seconds to recover from the initial surprise. When she did, she couldn't help but think of the two in suspicion and wonder. The cat had shattered her illusion, which wasn't a fluke now that she thought about it, and Frizzy just saw past it for who knows how long.

Smiling to herself, she took off from where she stood. She had to meet up with her bosses; they had job to do tonight. Skipping as she twirled her umbrella wildly, she walked into an alley way where no one could see her. Letting her appearance shatter, her true self now out in the open, she jumped to the rooftops and looked at the direction Frizzy had left. Her scroll suddenly rang, prompting her to answer the call. It was her boss; the bitch, she was called sometimes. Scowling at her voice, she halfheartedly listened in to what the woman had to say in, already knowing what she had in mind.

"Hello dear." A roll of her eyes was her response. "Get back to base." And the call ended. No jokes, no compliments, just business. With that done, she made her way to where the woman told her to go, looking at the picture of Frizzy Hair she had secretly taken. She couldn't help but think he was far more entertaining than the woman right now. She couldn't wait to meet him once more. With her location now in front of her, she landed in front of their little warehouse, greeted by her first and favorite boss. Roman Torchwick held his arms out wide, smiling at her in relief. She couldn't help but look up to the man, Literally and figuratively, he was just so much fun sometimes.

"Neopolitan! Am I glad to see you; shall we start the debriefing?" Unfurling her umbrella at his words, she walked inside the base, eager to get started on their plan. A dust heist was the gist she was given, but she knew it wasn't just a normal heist. They would be stealing from one of the biggest dust Depositories in Vale, the same one that stored the dust needed for the Vytal Festival. With Roman behind her, she walked up to the door that led to the room where plans were discussed, opening it for Roman as he gave her a tilt of his hat in thanks

"Neo, you took your time." The woman drawled. Not wanting to anger the woman and waste her own time, she took her usual position in front the door so that no one could enter. Paying attention to the debriefing, she couldn't help but glare at the woman for a moment, her true thoughts letting themselves known.

She didn't like Cinder Fall. She wanted to stab her. However, Neo knew that she would be killed in an instant if she got in the woman's way, so she opted to stay on her good side until an opportunity arises. She liked Roman a lot, but the man had lost his touch when he started obeying Cinder; he just wasn't the same person that took her in so very long ago.

He disgusted her now; she would gladly leave his side if it meant preserving herself.

"And that is the plan. Any objections?" Cinder asked, making Neo snap out of her thoughts. She couldn't help but roll her eyes at that. 'Any objections'? Any that opposed would be charred in less than a second. "Good. Be on your way." And the meeting was adjourned. Not wanting to be anywhere near the woman any longer than possible, Neo left the room hurriedly, already far outside the warehouse.

She felt her scroll vibrate, it was Roman, no doubt going to ask where she went. Frowning at the name of the man she once idolized, she hit the decline button. She couldn't help but internally sigh. This wasn't how things were supposed to go, things changed too quickly for her to adjust. They used to call the shots but now they were just underlings in the greater scheme. Roman had become a pawn, and so had she. She was about to stuff the scroll away into her pocket, but it received a notification; Ren Amamiya being the sender.

Opening it, she was greeted to a picture of Morgana with a little pink bow on top of his head. "He wasn't pleased" Was the message that went along with it, and she couldn't help but agree. Silently giggling at the picture, she couldn't but feel a little better. Her mood lifted, if just a bit.

Twirling her umbrella in circles, she walked back to the warehouse with a smile. Maybe if she got to know him, he could somehow help her out of this mess. She knew that was a large stretch, but she couldn't help but think that Ren Amamiya may just be the key she needed. Maybe he could house a criminal or something. She would figure it out eventually. He was an opportunity to leave that group, and she wouldn't let that go any time soon.

If only she knew that he was much more than just the key to her problems, and that she would be presented with an opportunity much earlier than she would have ever expected.

Little Neo could only wait for what the future had in store for her. Much like anyone else who had interacted with the boy.

* * *

"I know this is sudden, but are you ready, Mona?"

"Hmph. Who do you think you're talking to? Of course, I'm ready."

The two stood on the rooftop just a block away from the Depository. They watched as White Fang members exited numerous airships parked in front of the building and marched their way into the building, yelling for everyone to get down. Gunshots were heard, but no alarms were sound, which meant that the organization had infiltrated the place before hand and disabled them. Screams and yells could be heard from afar, begging the group to spare their lives.

That was their queue.

"Let's go, Joker. It's time to show Remnant just who we are."

They dropped down to the street below the building and silently ran behind their airships. They swung their blades as they cleanly cut the tail and wings off the vehicle, rendering it unable to fly. The members outside were only given a second before they were sent to a deep sleep, _**Tentarafoo**_ being the last words they will be hearing.

"Mona, tie them all up and put them somewhere they won't be found." Joker ordered. The bipedal cat quickly did as he was told, pulling a rope they had bought in preparation for the night. Joker walked to the closed front door of the building, stopping in front of it as he took a deep breath. Mona joined him a second later, done with the job he was given. With a heavy kick, Joker sent the steel door flying, knocking out a few unsuspecting members who had their back towards it. Slowly walking inside the room with loud steps, Ren analyzed the situation at hand. Hostages with their arms tied behind their backs were on the floor, while the White Fang members aimed their guns and readied their weapons at him.

"Who are you?!"

"Hunter?!"

"Monster Cat?!

"No one ordered a magician…"

"Don't move or we'll shoot!"

Smirking at that last comment, Joker challenged that, walking without a care in the world for he knew he was covered. _**"Magarudyne"**_ He heard, no doubt Mona behind him saying the spell. The White Fang members flew as their guns were removed from their hands. They crashed onto the walls and roof of the building, screaming as they were sent flying. Their weapons were torn to shreds, the bullets they fired at last minute useless as the wind changed their trajectory. The wind disappeared, and the White Fang members that were in the room were defeated. The hostages were left untouched, their bodies remaining on the ground despite the elemental attack. Their restrains were destroyed by the wind Mona had made, allowing them to stand up.

"The police will be here soon. Please get away to safety soon as possible, we will handle this."

Making his way further inside the building towards the blown open vault, he was about to enter the giant storage archive of dust, but stopped when a faltering employee asked him a question.

"Who are you? You're not with the White Fang, that's obvious, but… who are you?"

Turning his body around, Joker was faced with several hostages staring at him. Suspicion and fear filled their eyes as they observed him, unsure of what to make of the person who had saved their lives.

Introductions were always a must, weren't they?

Letting out a series of blue flames, but not summoning his persona, Joker glanced at the hostages that were staring with their jaws dropped, a cocky smile adorning his face as he introduced himself to them, and subsequently to the world.

"I am Joker, Leader of the Phantom Thieves. But you can just call me –"

 _ **"Remnant's Phantom.** **"**_

* * *

 **AN**

 **Reviews and flames. I feed off opinions.**

 **Hope the next update doesn't take long.**


	13. IM SORRY

**I am sorry, but I will be remaking the story.**

 **There are too many** **inconsistencies** **with my writing, and I strayed a little bit on where I wanted the story to go.**

 **The story title will be the same, but I will not update this story any longer until further notice.**

 **I apologize, but this is for the best.**

 **\- Raouol The Third**


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